Slow
by Analya-Shepard
Summary: Malik is almost always there to aid Altair when he needs it. But what happens when the man is nowhere to be found? Explore the path Malik might have taken during the journeys of Altair Ibn La-Ahad. Exploration into Malik's character only.
1. Chapter 1

"Malik, why won't you race me?" a young and restless Altaïr called out from the courtyard.

"Because I know you'll beat me. There's no point in participating if you know you'll lose." He called back. A firm hand gripped his shoulder as a shadow cast over his at the same time.

"You don't always know the outcome of every situation, novice." The shadow spoke, in a low voice. "Go."

"Yes, master." He said with defeat, walking over. Kadar followed with excitement, eager to see who would win. He was a bit too much at times, but that was his brother.

"Kadar, go wait at the well in the village for us." Altaïr said, grinning at Malik as the other boy ran off.

"So we're going there?"

"No. We're racing around it and back here."

"Why make him wait there, then?" Malik asked, confused.

"He can follow us back." came a reply, both of the boys readying themselves in stance as one of the young men waited to start them on their race while waiting for further sword training.

As soon as the young man had reached zero, Altaïr and Malik began sprinting off, a silent agreement having been made that whomever was in the lead decided the path to the well, and back. Early on Altaïr took the lead. Climbing was something that he still struggled with, but what he lacked in climbing, he made up for with running and leaping. Malik nearly caught Altair on the wall, but a misjudged place of his hand sent his scrambling for something to grab on to. He hauled himself over the ledge and began running on the rooftops again.

Malik watched with some amazement at how confident Altaïr was when leaping across large gaps so high up. A sudden drop down to the ground was where Malik caught up again. He took a slight lead when they reached the well, Kadar excited, and then confused when both turned around and headed back.

"Hey! Wait up!" Kadar yelled, running after them.

Up the hill proved to be a challenge that Malik was almost grateful for. Altaïr fell behind, but not too far. Malik went to the rooftops again, accelerating to the point where he could have slowed to catch his breath for a moment before Altaïr would be close enough to pose a threat. But they both knew once someone slowed down, it was harder to gain the momentum back. So Malik pressed on, his heart racing and his breath becoming more shallow with each leap he took across the homes of the villagers.

He suddenly tumbled off the roof and he knew that was the end of it.

When he got back up Altaïr was thudding down and pushing off at the same time, sprinting ahead of him towards the final set of hills that was towards the castle. Malik thought himself lucky to see him running through the castle gate, triumphant. He slowed down once he was inside them as well, lying on his back to catch his breath and to wait for his younger brother, who was somewhere in the village. Once his brother was back, the three met up again.

"Wasn't that fun, Malik?"

"I suppose it was." He shrugged, just slightly bitter due to the loss. But Malik knew that there were other things that he could beat Altaïr at, such as knife throwing, sneaking around, and most importantly being a good role model for his brother.

Every one in a while, as all three grew up, the two would race each other. Eventually Kadar joined in, though it was always a close finish between Altaïr and Malik. There were occasions that Malik won. Typically it was Altaïr. He didn't mind so much as he did when he was younger. There were also days when Malik ran on his own, wanting to explore, or just looking for a new way to beat Altaïr. This day, he was exploring the village, taking his time to find ways around. He was wanting to explore a small cave on the edge of the village that was on a cliff.

There was a small garden that was fenced off by a family that Malik sometimes decided to sneak into just to admire the view of the castle and the valley from the tree. The cave was below him. Taking a break, he was careful not to make a sound, glad that it was spring and the leaves were full so he could sit quietly. He was there for a long time, but when he felt something hit his foot he glanced down and saw a little girl, who was preparing to throw another pebble at him. He got down quickly, standing on the other side of the fence when he hit the ground.

"What were you doing in my tree?" She asked angrily. Malik smiled at her. She couldn't have been more than seven years old. He loved talking to the children.

"This is a very nice tree to sit in and watch the valley. Did you know that?" He said. She shook her head, dropping the pebble and walking closer.

"Why are you dressed like that?" She asked, pointing to his robes.

"I live in the castle with the other assassins." He replied.

"Is it warm in there? My mommy says it gets cold sometimes."

"It's very warm. We have lots of fires to keep us warm when it's cold outside."

"That's good." She replied with a smile. Then suddenly, "Do you want to play a game?"

"What kind of game would you like to play?"

"My friends and I like to play hide and seek." She beamed.

"I see. I'm afraid I'm very good at that game." Malik chuckled, letting her lead the way. On their way to the well, they saw Altaïr. He was apparently on his way to meet someone.

"Brother, what are you doing?" Altaïr asked of Malik when he was seen holding the little girl's hand.

"We were going to play hide and seek." Malik smiled, "Would you like to join us?"

"I suppose I have time." Altaïr said, after the girl began pleading.

"I'll count off first." She said, as the two young men looked at each other, picking some rather horrible spots to hide, were experienced eyes watching them. Some of the women saw what they were doing and smiled. Once the girl got to twenty, she turned around, looking for the two men. She found Altaïr first, squealing when she did, and then pulling him around looking for Malik. Altaïr helped her after a few minutes, holding her up to look behind some barrels.

For the rest of the afternoon, Malik and Altaïr played with the girl. Malik walked her back home, and then turned to walk back to the castle, seeing as Altaïr had plans of his own. A young woman was watching him, and decided to approach him.

"Do you know that little girl?" Malik heard from behind him, turning sharply to see who it was. He was surprised to meet a pair of hazel eyes that he'd never seen before.

"I only met her today while I was sitting in her tree." He replied.

"That was very nice of you to play with her. She doesn't play with many of the other children."

"She seems to think differently."

"That may be. Still, it's... Very refreshing to see a young man like yourself taking the time to play with a little girl. I was on my way to play with her, but then I saw you and your friend. So I watched."

"What's your name?" Malik asked suddenly.

"My name is Iman. Are you not Malik?" She asked, stepping closer.

"I am. How do you know my name?"

"Altaïr is a mutual friend, I guess you could say." She smiled. Malik only now noticed the small scar on her chin.

"That sounds like an interesting story." He replied to her.

"Do you have the time to listen to it?"

There was a silence as Malik looked back towards the castle, the sun slowly being pushed down to the other side of the mountains. He wanted to go. But he was also very intrigued by Iman.

"I have the time." He finally said, walking her over to sit on a bench where it was quiet. Iman had met Altaïr when he took his first few trips to Damascus. She was on the streets often, asking for just about everything to get by. She was pretty, he knew that, and she did as well. He knew that when her face turned bright pink, mentioning the first time she saw Altaïr that there was something that she wasn't readily sharing. He held his tongue, though, letting her finish.

"I'm ashamed to say that I'm jealous of the woman he's seeing. Altaïr is a wonderful man and so intelligent." Iman said very quietly, avoiding looking Malik in the eye. He then found himself reciting something he was once told.

"You don't always know the outcome of every situation."

"That is true, isn't it?" She said, smiling again and looking up to him.

"It has been so long as I've known Altaïr." He returned the smile to her.

"Anyway, when I first saw him, I knew he was looking for some place to hide. I grabbed his arm when he ran past, and he nearly hit me until I started pulling him off the street and into a church. I kept him there until it was dusk and then I let him go. Only he stayed and began talking to me."

"I didn't know he liked to talk so much." Malik muttered to himself.

"He said he usually doesn't unless someone has caught his attention." She said, thinking he had meant to say that to her.

"And why do you think you caught his attention?" He asked. She shrugged, yet he could come up with several reasons.

"Hmph. That's an interesting story, Iman."

"Not nearly as interesting as the few I've heard of you."

"What stories have you heard of me?"

"Plenty." She giggled.

Malik asked for one of the stories but Iman continued to refuse until it was dark. Altaïr walked past, not noticing that the two were sitting there chatting, but Malik became self-conscious of being seen with Iman. Assassin's weren't supposed to have fun while they were home. They were supposed to train, and reflect on other matters, and protect the village. Malik wasn't being a very good assassin at the moment.

He stood slowly, Iman doing the same. They looked each other in the eyes in silence. He raised his rough hand and placed it in her smooth skinned hand. He smiled, raising her hand to his lips, kissing the back of it, and then lowering it.

"I'm afraid I need to leave. If I get the chance, I'll meet you back here around noon. I want to hear more from you." He said, his voice surprisingly calm and quiet compared to how he was feeling.

"I won't wait the whole day." She said in response, her eyes dropping suddenly, and her head turning away. He knew she was grinning, and he took the opportunity to slip away.

Once he reached the hills to the castle, Malik saw that Altaïr was waiting for him, leaning against a tree, a rather smug look on his face. He pretended not to see him.

"Malik..." Altaïr called out, walking towards him. He stopped and turned.

"What is it?"

"How is Iman?"

"She is well."

"Is that all?"

"As far as I know, yes." He said. Altaïr grinned. "Stop that. You look ridiculous."

"Only because you know what I'm thinking is true, Malik."

"And what are you thinking? How dumb you look with that smile? Yes, that is true."

"I know how well you two get along. I saw how you looked at her before you left."

"Then you also know she has feelings for you?" Malik countered. Altaïr met this with some silence, sighing heavily.

"I know she does, but I simply do not feel the same way. She is useful in gathering information where I need it. But I'm afraid that's all she'll be to me."

"Do her a favor then; stop using her in that manner. It only makes her feel worse and she does not deserve that."

"I will try, Malik." Altaïr said with his head hanging slightly lower than it had been. "Although, I've always imagined her with you. She seems like a good balance to you. Or she will be."

"Why do you say that?"

"She has a good heart, and is more understanding and open than others. I believe you will need that soon in your life, for whatever reason. I can't say why I believe that, but I do."

"I appreciate that, Altaïr." Malik replied. The two headed up the hills to the castle gate, going to their rooms to sleep.

In the next few days, Malik was unable to meet with Iman. He was being assigned to work with some of the novices. Altaïr was off on a small mission. Then in the next few weeks, the two of them, and Kadar, were sent to Jerusalem to retrieve an item. Altaïr had changed, become very confident of himself. Kadar's death was nearly too much for Malik to handle, but he managed to do the job that was assigned, the feeling in his left arm nearly gone in the time that it took to travel back to Masyaf.

When he finally saw Iman again, he wasn't the same as he'd been before. He no longer had his left arm. The last of his family was gone. His spirit had been broken. All this was added onto the fact that his childhood friend had betrayed him, leaving him to die. But he came above it somehow and was alive.

"Malik! What happened?!" Iman gasped upon seeing him.

"Altaïr is what happened." He spat. "He left my brother and I in the temple to die. I was lucky I made it out, but my brother..." He turned his gaze to the ground, letting a few tears fall down his face in anger and sorrow.

"Don't think like that. There is a reason for everything." Iman said, sitting down and gently pulling him down to sit beside her.

"How can you say that? Has he not hurt you, too?"

"He has, but I'm sure that both times it was not his goal to hurt us." Iman said sternly. "Altaïr has good intentions. He has poorly executed those intentions, is all. He will learn."

"You are still blind to what he's done."

"I am not blind, you are. I know how you feel but you need to see the better way out."

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Malik. The other day, when the templars came, they were not merciful to the children. That little girl died." She paused. "I watched. She climbed up into the tree. Some of the men ordered her down and she refused. I don't know why but she stayed in that tree until they shook her out." Iman paused, brushing her hair back before continuing. "When they did get her out of the tree, she fell on the other side of the fence, and got a little too close to the cliff. And I can't recall hearing a splash from the water."

Malik suddenly stood up, walking towards the direction of that tree. Iman followed, curious as to what he was doing. He paused when the girl's mother and father were standing by the tree, taking another route down. He'd discovered the path down on one of the adventures he took so long ago. It was hidden behind a bush, and he could walk most of the way.

"Where are you going?" Iman asked, staying put by the bush.

"She could have survived." He said, knowing well that there was a ledge not too far down from the tree. He walked briskly and even jogged a bit when he got closer to the ledge. Iman was wrong, though.

She was face down, unmoving, and there were several dozen flies and other bugs all on her body. He black hair was strewn in all directions, but when he picked her up off the ground, she gripped to him weakly, struggling to breathe. He walked carefully back up, holding her in his one arm, although she was incredibly light. Iman was speechless when he came back up, following him now. He took her straight to her parents, her mother bawling and thanking him over and over again while her father took her inside, lying her down and then rushing to find a doctor.

"Malik, why did you do that?" Iman questioned, letting him rest at the tree.

"I knew there was a chance she could have made it, and I wasn't going to take a risk in not knowing what would happen like Altaïr did. I'm not ever going to make the mistakes he did." He answered, still angry.

"I'd rather you think of what he did as a mistake than a purposeful action. And you are right to have that goal for yourself." She then said, sitting beside him and letting her head rest on his left shoulder. His cheek touched the top of her head and they sat in silence for the rest of the afternoon underneath the tree that was now losing it's leaves with every gentle brush of wind.

Seeing as Iman had no place to live, she traveled with Malik to Jerusalem, where he would take his new role as rafiq. She spent time with him every day, helping him adjust to having one arm, and for the most part she kept him going when it got tough. The day she didn't come was the day Altaïr first returned as a novice, much to Malik's delight. He could only laugh when Altaïr demanded information from him, and was turned down.

That night Malik didn't sleep well, but he heard a soft knock on the door nearby early in the morning. He got up quickly to see who it was. Iman threw her arms around him, soaking wet and shivering. It hadn't rained that night...

"They threw me down into a well." She said as she shivered, looking at him much differently than se had the other day. "They didn't want me on the streets anymore. A man helped me out and I came here right away."

"Come in, then." He said, quickly pulling her in and leading her to a room where she could take off her clothes and put on some dry ones until hers were dry, at least. He left the room to allow her some privacy, and went to go get everything ready for the day, since there was no point in going back to sleep for an hour. Of course, this is when Altaïr decided to show up for his second day. He came through the roof, and landed with a softer thud than what one might think for his size. But he had mastered his techniques by now.

"Malik. You are awake."

"Unfortunately, I am. What is it that you need?" He said, not being discreet about the fact he hadn't slept at all.

"I have more information on my target I wish to share with you." He said, with a tone that suggested he was only repeating what he had to in order to keep going. Malik could only sigh at this.

"Then go on." Malik said, only half listening. Once Altaïr was done speaking, he continued. "You do not have enough information. Go see if the citizens have any more to say that you can learn today."

"I will wait here until midday." Altaïr said, turning to go rest, pausing once Iman came out, dressed in clothes that had once belonged to Malik. His gaze turned to Malik, and he smirked a bit before walking out. Malik could only grimace, and put his head in his hand.

"Is something wrong?" Iman asked, walking over to him.

"Altaïr seems to be thinking that something happened between us." He said quietly, not looking at her. "I don't like it."

"Why?"

"Because it's not true."

"And what if it were?" She asked him with a quiet voice, leaning a bit closer to him. He couldn't respond to that right away, but he knew what he wanted to say.

"I..."

_I wish it were true._ That's what he wanted to say. But he couldn't bring himself to admit that aloud. Especially not with Altaïr around to hear it. Iman deserved better than him, surely. He was broken and bitter, not to mention one of the most boring people he knew. When he was younger he did things with everyone else. Now, he preferred to stay inside with his books and maps, the things he knew best and that didn't require much effort.

Malik glanced over to Iman. She was still waiting.

"I don't know." He said with defeat, knowing that was a horrible answer for her. She nodded, but stayed put, looking down at his work.

"That's a very detailed map you have there." She said, changing the subject.

"Thank you. I like knowing where I am at all times. And with there being no decent maps to buy, I decided to make my own. I hope it will be useful some day." Malik said, his confidence coming back quickly.

"What's this?" She asked, her slender finger hovering over a circle he'd made the day before.

"It's a temple that's being built. So far, it's that shape. If it changes, I will change it." He shrugged.

Until midday arrived, Iman and Malik were fairly silent, but she stayed in the room with him, lighting the incense that he liked. It helped him focus and calm down considerably. Once Altaïr left, he called her over to him again.

"What is it?" she asked, still wearing his clothes.

"How long were you planning on staying here?" He asked her.

"However long you were going to."

"Why?"

"I enjoy your company."

"Why don't you actually stay with me, tonight, then?" Malik said before he could think about it. He wasn't about to take the comment back, because Iman smiled, and gave him a gentle kiss before he could do much else. He'd dug himself into some sort of hole. He didn't know if that was good or bad, yet. But she left to go retrieve her things, and was back within the hour. He said nothing more to her until after Altaïr returned, looking for a room to stay in.

"Iman, do you still have feelings for Altaïr?" He asked as she turned to go put her own clothes back on, finally. She stopped, and turned back.

"Why do you ask?"

"Because you should act on it if you do."

"I don't believe that I do anymore."

"Then you can forget I said anything." Malik said, kicking himself mentally for what he'd done. He was doing everything he knew he didn't want to do. He didn't want to lead her on to anything and he didn't want her to get hurt, particularly not by anything he might do.

"Then I will." She smiled, disappearing behind the wall. He had only a moment to himself before Altaïr showed his face again.

"I get the feeling that you're having trouble with Iman."

"Why do you say that?" Malik asked sarcastically.

"Malik, she's not going to harm you if you do something wrong. If anything she'll laugh and move on."

"And you know this how?"

"I've known her longer than you have. I know her personality and you just need to relax around her." Altaïr said quietly, leaving him be to think on what he said. And he did for several minutes. There were some parts of this man that still cared about him and that was a small comfort. However, he still needed to work on his ability to comprehend the creed.

He walked into the room she was in, knocking on the door just in time for her to pull her top on, just slightly pink in the face. She began to ask him something but instead Malik cut her off, giving her the answer she wanted to hear earlier.

"I really wish that you would stay here with me until I need to leave. And even then, I want you to stay with me. You're different than any other woman I've met and I want to get to know you better." He said quickly, staring her in the eye as he spoke. Of course, she was silent while she was processing what he'd just said. He didn't give her much more time before he took her hand like he did when they'd first met. It was a firmer hold than before, but he felt different than he had that day.

"And what if I said no?"

"I don't believe you will say no, Iman." He said with a smile. "You would have said no earlier, but you didn't. So why would you now?"


	2. Chapter 2

She pulled him into the room, silent and smiling. She shut the door and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her small lips to his again. His one arm held her body in place, and it was almost better that he didn't have a second arm anymore. There was so much more that he could do to her. His fingertips felt her top sliding down a bit, and he did nothing to stop it. Her skin was very soft and warm compared to his calloused hands that had been working so hard.

Iman was gentle with Malik. She didn't say much to him, but she didn't need to, either. There were a few times she murmured his name into a kiss, or into the skin on his neck as she clutched to him. And Malik couldn't recall a time when he loved hearing his name any more than those few times they left her lips. She fell asleep before he did, and he kept her warm while they slept. When he woke up in the morning, he heard Altaïr shuffling around out by the desk. Very carefully, Malik left Iman to sleep where she was and he got dressed silently, walking out to meet the other man shortly after.

"Having trouble sleeping, Altaïr?"

"I didn't really sleep much after I saw you go into her room last night." He said, the look on his face telling the whole story.

"Am I supposed to apologize?"

"I didn't mean for you to relax that much, Malik." Altaïr whispered.

"I think it was a little overdue. She's been coming here for a little over a month, every day. Just to see me."

"Then I take back what I said." He sighed, then straightening his posture. "I am ready to proceed with my mission, Malik."

"Proceed." Malik said, listening to what he had to say, giving him his feather and then returning to Iman's room to sleep the rest of the morning with her. Perhaps Altaïr was right about her being good for him after all. But he could still harass the man while he was still a novice, and running errands. He smiled a bit as he buried his nose in Iman's hair. She took his hand, awake enough to know he was there but still sleeping at the same time.

Malik couldn't place a word on what he was feeling at the moment. He was happy, of course, but there was something else underlying that feeling. It was something that chilled him, making him tense. On top of that, he wanted to pull Iman away from everything in the world and hide her, but he couldn't bring himself to do that. He knew she'd be unhappy if he hid her, but she would be hurt if he let her be free. It kept his mind busy until he heard Altaïr return – or rather the warning that he would be returning soon.

A small scolding was given, but he was officially done in this city until another assignment sent him this way. Malik recorded that information. But then he went looking for Altaïr for help on another matter. After explaining his predicament to the other man in a quiet room, still fairly early in the day, they sat in silence for a while.

"Malik. You should be careful that this does not distract you." Altaïr said in response.

"It's very hard to be distracted here. I do want her to stay, she is helpful." He sighed. "If only she could join us. This situation would not be so difficult were that the case."

"Take it upon yourself, then. You taught your brother well -" Altaïr paused for a moment, and then continued, "and I'm sure that you could be discreet in doing so."

"Do you mean to say that I should teach her to be an assassin?"

"Yes. If she shows promise, then she may be of use to all of us. Iman is already a master at blending in with the crowd. She knows her way around a city, and she can be very quiet."

"She is not a fighter, though."

"Refine her skills so she may avoid battle, or teach her to the best of your ability." He paused again. "I don't doubt I will return to Jerusalem at some point. I may be able to help when I return. Of course, this is between you two. If she does not wish to learn our ways, then the respect of her decision should remain."

"You sound nothing like the man everyone claims you to be, Altaïr." Malik commented.

"We were born into this life. But I believe others should have a chance to join if they are able. And not just men. Iman has shown me that women can be more useful than they are given credit for."

"That is some idea." Malik sighed. "You would make an interesting Grand Master."

"You should go speak to her. I will stay through the night, and leave tomorrow morning." Altaïr said quietly, shifting to lay down on the pillows to rest some. Malik stood and let him be. Once outside the room, he turned to check in on Iman. She was getting dressed with her back to the door, and Malik continued out to his maps and books, sitting on the floor to read over something.

"Good morning, Malik." Iman said softly with a smile on her face as she walked out where he could see her. He glanced up and smiled back to her, letting her sit beside him, continuing to read. She knew how to read, although she wasn't as quick as anyone else he knew. She tried reading along, but was apparently too tired to continue on, so she settled for cuddling against him. After some time, Malik placed the book down and looked at her again, just for the sake of looking at her. She stretched her neck to give him a kiss, and he pulled her closer to sit on his lap on the floor. Iman rested her head on his shoulder, humming a quiet tune that was familiar to his ears. He closed his eyes and listened to her, letting his cheek rest on the top of her head. When she stopped he opened his eyes again, only slightly surprised that Altaïr was standing there, again, with a smirk on his face.

"Get out." Malik mouthed with an angry look, teasing as well. Altaïr shook his head like a child, grinning and staying put. He sighed and then looked to Iman. She glanced up.

"What is it?"

"We have a visitor." Malik chimed, making no effort to hide the displeasure in his voice. She looked over and giggled.

"I don't mind." Iman said suddenly. There was a tone in her voice that made Malik tense. It was almost as though she were trying to get Altaïr involved in this as well. He made a silent prayer in hopes that Iman wasn't trying to make that so. He let her stand up, though.

"I'm glad to see you two are doing well." Altaïr commented, being very polite.

"May I speak with you?" Iman asked suddenly. Malik felt his insides twist and heat up. Altaïr looked equally as nervous, nodding and letting her lead him where Malik could not listen. He could follow and listen without being noticed. Though he would never allow himself to do that in this situation.

Instead Malik busied himself with the books, again. He made sure they were all in place and stacked neatly. He moved on to his map after a while. The conversation must have been fairly serious if it was taking this long. His nerves were itching for him to check in on them, but he strained himself to stay put and wait. Altaïr would never betray him like that. Even if he had betrayed his brother, that mistake would not be made again; Altaïr was not stupid. He'd said it himself that he'd always pictured he and Iman together.

Outlining the city walls for a third time, Iman finally emerged. She walked to Malik's side, and both her arms wrapped tightly around his chest. It startled him a bit. In response, he wrapped his arm around her tightly, speaking softly in her ear.

"Is everything alright?"

She didn't reply for a bit, keeping her face hidden from him. He sighed and kept holding her until she shifted. He looked at her again, and saw her eyes were red, as well as her nose.

"Iman-"

"You don't need to worry." She said with a breaking voice, and then smiling. "I'm just happy."

"Why?"

"You didn't worry about me when I went to talk to Altaïr, despite knowing that I'd had feelings for him. You were able to trust me and that makes me happy."

"Of course I trust you." He said, hugging her again, and relaxing, glad that he'd refused his instincts this time. Malik was starting to get a hang of how relationships worked, again. "I won't lie, though, I really wanted to go listen in, though."

"I was just... Telling him about how much I adore you." Iman blushed. "I'm sure it's nothing I couldn't tell you."

"I'm sure you've already told me in some way." Malik grinned, kissing the tip of her nose.

The rest of the day was very calm. Altaïr had gone to roam around the city, promising not to get into any trouble. Iman watched Malik create the large map of the city, making small comments every now and then. He noticed she drifted off in thought a few times. He took these moments to watch her; Iman made interesting faces while she thought, and it was only majorly adorable in Malik's eyes. She teased him when she caught him watching her, and moved around the room some.

Around dusk, Altaïr had returned, carrying a few sacks with him. Malik was about to question him, when he opened up one of the sacks, and tossed an apple to Malik. He watched as it hit the floor in front of him, and then picked it up and set it on the desk. He then tossed another towards Iman, though gentler since she was sitting and almost unaware. It landed on the pillow next to her, and she looked up with a grin, thanking the man for the apple.

"Is there any reason you have those sacks?" Malik asked.

"I thought they might be useful to me for my journey back to Masyaf. And you needed more food."

"Thank you for that. How was your afternoon?"

"Fairly boring. I watched a man try to get his mule through the market for about an hour with no luck. It reminded me of you." Altaïr smirked, especially when Iman giggled quietly.

"That's very funny, novice." Malik hissed, although playing as well.

"Goodnight, rafiq." He said, turning to go to his room and sleep.

As soon as he left the room, Malik looked down at the map, satisfied for the night, and letting the ink dry on the paper before rolling it up and storing it safely. Iman walked over again, setting the apple down gently next to his. Her arms wrapped around him the same as they did earlier. Her eyes had dark circles around them, and she looked heavy. He bravely went to pick her up with his one arm and carry her to bed. Iman's head rested on his chest that night, listening to the soft beating of his heart. He slept fairly well that night, his arm wrapped tight around Iman's body. He stirred some when he heard Altaïr leaving, but there was no concern. A weight lifted from his shoulders as he realized he was entirely alone with this woman.

Unfortunately that did not last very long.

A large group of novices had come in the next day, intending to stay for upwards of a month. Until Malik had learned of how long they were staying, he thought he could hide Iman for a bit. A few days went by and he changed his mind on that. The rafiq wasn't supposed to have personal company around during the day. Then again, who was around during the day long enough to know? Certainly these novices wouldn't be. While they were all laughing as they ate their dinner, Malik was with Iman in bed. She hummed softly and lay on top of him, the light from the moon shining through the window and onto both of them. It might as well have been daytime at the moment.

"Malik..."

"Hm?"

"What would you do if someone took me away from you?" Her words were airy and thoughtful. Malik had no reason to worry that it might happen. Be he did think as though it would.

"I would make that person pay for taking such a beautiful woman away from me." He leaned to kiss the top of her head, and she smiled, sitting up suddenly. Her whole body was glowing underneath the moonlight and Malik couldn't resist touching.

"And what if you couldn't find me?"

"I wouldn't give up so easily, Iman." He smiled now, watching her hair fall to her waist as she sat over his hips. Something suddenly didn't seem right. As soon as Iman leaned to kiss him on the lips, Malik sat up, looking at the door. The novices were quiet.

"Wait here. I'll be back in a moment." He said, gently pushing her off him and pulling his robes on hastily. As he left, he grabbed his sword. It felt heavy in his hand, but he crept out silently.

All the novices were gone. The hatch on the roof had been locked, and only Malik had the key. The door on the street was shut. There was no noise from any of the rooms. It bothered him and he searched over and over. He finally returned to Iman.

"What's wrong?" She asked, the blankets pulled over herself.

"The novices are gone." He said. "I hope they left to take a quick walk outside and will come back, but we'll have to wait and see."

"It's nice to see you care so much about them." She commented as he put the sword away by the door after closing it. She stood and met him in the middle of the floor, wrapping her whole body around him again. He lifted her to carry her a few steps to the bed, and laid her down gently. Despite having one arm, he felt like he had two. And she had yet to make a comment about the lack of one being a bad thing. So far she'd only said it added to his character.

Luckily, before they fell asleep for good, Malik heard the door on the street open, and then close. The noise was back, although it was hushed. And then soon it was silent, as everyone was asleep. In the morning, Malik began to feel the pain in his back return. He would not be able to do much today, but lay in bed. Attempting to roll over onto his stomach, he groaned with pain which woke Iman.

"Are you alright?"

"I will be. Just a little back pain."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"If you wish too, you could heat some water and get a damp cloth for me." Malik sighed, feeling absolutely exhausted at the moment. He felt her lips on his shoulder, and then watched her dress herself, promising to be back in a few minutes.

She returned, and without asking, dipped the cloth in the water that had been warmed, wrung it out, and then placed the cloth on his back. She then sat on the edge of the bed, smiling and combing her fingers through his hair. She wet the cloth as needed, and took care of his until he began to feel better. He smiled at her.

"Iman?"

"Yes Malik?"

"Have you ever thought about becoming an assassin?" He asked quietly as she re-dampened the cloth. She paused for a minute.

"I've thought about it, I suppose. Although I'm not sure that I would be accepted so readily."

"What if I told you that I would teach you, and keep it hidden?"

"Why would you do that?"

"You show promise." Malik said, shifting some. "Altaïr agrees that you could become a very good assassin if you wished."

"If this is a serious offer, will you give me a few days to think on it?"

"I will give you as much time as you need, I promise." He then smiled, and reached to take her hand. In a few hours he was standing again, and instructing the novices on where to go. Iman had made herself known, and Malik could only hold in laughter at the looks the novices gave to her. A few believed they could have a chance.

"Don't you try anything." He warned a few of them when she wasn't around, completely serious. That alone had scared them as they went off to complete their tasks separately.

He went along with his usual routine, stealing glances at Iman when he could, taking frequent breaks from his work, and teaching her a few things about how he liked his books organized. She made no complaints, and was just happy to be around him. Before the novices were supposed to return, he was holding her behind the desk, letting his forehead touch hers, grinning as he looked her in the eye.

"Thank you for staying here, Iman. Everything is much more bearable with someone around all the time." He murmured. She kissed him gently, and pressed her palm to his cheek.

"I'm glad you appreciate what I do for you." Her eyes closed, and they both stood there until they heard the novices panting as they walked in to greet Malik. He gave her another kiss and sent her away for a few minutes, feeling no regret for showing such affection in front of the novices, before then continuing with their lesson.

The last day of the week had arrived, and Malik had promised Iman that they would be normal citizens for this one day. The novices were warned beforehand that he would do nothing to help them if they got in trouble. Most were planning on sleeping the whole day, instead. Early in the morning, Malik pulled on clothes that were not his robes, although they were considerably nicer. Iman complained for a bit that she had nothing else to wear, although Malik promised her that would change. As soon as she had found the gently worn veil and placed it over her face, they headed out.

They headed to the bazaar at dawn, and it felt good to be himself with Iman in the open. Nobody knew who they were, and they had no reason to hide. Iman looked through the baskets, and vases, seemingly bored for a while. Until she found a woman selling colorful dresses. Hardly needing to convince Malik, she picked one out and he paid for it, glad to see her smile again. She found an abandoned house nearby and she was able to quickly change into her dress.

She had picked out a dress that was a beautiful jade. There was no design on it, and it clung to her body nicely. Iman looked more confident with herself now, and he could only guess why. She took his hand, and led him to look at some of the flowers. He didn't question her, and by noon they had returned with a few more items than they really needed. Malik had found a few books to add to his collection, and Iman had found a new rug that the novices appreciated when they sat down to eat their meal.

"I think we've made this our home, now." He grinned at her.

"I wouldn't mind living here for the rest of my life." She commented, "It's cozy, and plenty happens to keep life exciting." Whether that was meant to be a suggestion to him as to what she wanted, or just a thought, he didn't know. He wanted to act on it, just to be sure she knew where he thought they stood. Now wasn't the time. They had a few chores to finish first. While she cleaned up the rooms some, and fluffed all the pillows, Malik was reorganizing the books, and getting rid of a few outdated maps.

He waited for her by the hatch, since the sun was beating down directly. She came by and sat next to him, nibbling on a citrus which he took one bite of when she offered it to him. They didn't speak. They heard life continuing outside the walls, but for the two of them, napping in the sun, there was no need to continue anything. Iman's head rested on Malik's shoulder, and his arm was secure around her waist. When he felt the afternoon growing longer, he finally nudged her awake, but neither moved. Now was the time.

"Iman, have I told you how much I love you?"

There was no initial response from her. And it didn't bother him until about two minutes later. He glanced down to her. She was grinning. His mind was eased.

"No, you haven't." Was her quiet answer. Her head nestled against his shoulder more, and she held his hand in both of hers. While she played with his fingers, he sighed happily, kissing the top of her head. He didn't need to continue the conversation to know how she felt, or to let her know how he felt. It was all said in the silence.

Malik kept her safely next to him on top of the rugs and pillows in the fading sunlight. When the bureau was in shadows, they stood and retreated inside to eat with the novices, for once. They sat side by side and shared stories, occasionally feeding one another, but smiling the whole time. When Iman had excused herself to go and rest, most of the other novices did as well. Only three of them remained, Malik in front of all of them. These young men who remained, who were only serving as guides to the younger novices, got to talk to Malik on this occasion on a serious note. One that they thought they needed.

"Why do you insist on keeping a woman in the bureau?" One asked from him.

"I will tell you." Malik said, honest and calm for a change. "Have any of you ever spent a week in the same room, by yourself with no interruption?" He paused for a response. When they all shook their heads, he continued. "I have spent many weeks of my life alone in the bureau like that. It is not something to take lightly, but it is necessary. Iman has chosen to stay here herself, to keep me company, and to provide her with safety. I am not keeping her here, but I will protect her."

"Are you close to her?" Another asked, since it was not so clear, even based on recent events.

"I am. We have known each other for a long period of time now." Malik replied, again patient.

"Why her?" The silent one asked. Malik smiled.

"That is a good question to be asking." He replied.

"And do you have an answer?"

"Yes, and no. It is difficult to say exactly why I have grown so close to her. Though, she has been very understanding of my predicament." He paused, and saw they were confused. He shifted to begin telling them the story.

"Iman and I met in the village in Masyaf not more than a year ago. She met me back when I had all my limbs, and was more of a man." There was quiet laughter, as Malik had recently become accustomed to joking about his arm missing. The pain was dulling slowly. "We had become good friends quickly, although shortly after, I had lost my arm. Now most women see the loss of a limb as a severe sign of weakness in a man. They wish nothing more to do with him unfortunately. Iman had no such ideas. She assured me that I was still the same man, just a bit off balance for the moment." Another pause for laughter. "She has never questioned my abilities. And Iman continues to want to be around me. So I suppose that is why I have..." He paused for a moment, thinking of the word to say.

"That's why it is her that will be in my life, for as long as I plan to live it." He finally said, unaware that around the corner to the rooms, Iman was listening from the doorway, holding back sobs.

Never had Malik spoken so true from his heart on any matter. There was nothing of a lie that could be plucked out from that story, vague as it was. But the manner he had placed his words when he spoke of her. That is why she was crying. Just as she had never treated him poorly for his arm, he had never spoken ill of her to any other. Malik glanced at the three young men, who were still smiling at him. They admired him as more than their rafiq. They admired him for being a true man of the world, and confessing his love openly, and with respect. They bid him goodnight, and Malik stood to clear the area.

Iman emerged, letting the tears sit on her face alongside her grin. He spotted her only before he blew out the last candle.

"Is something wrong?" He asked, his concern coming across in more ways that just his voice. When she glided over to him, her body naturally molded to his as they embraced. Her hair smelled different than he remembered it being only an hour ago. Sweeter.

"There is nothing wrong, spare the fact you made me cry." She said quietly.

"What have I done to upset you?"

"I'm not upset."

"Then why are you crying?" He asked, pulling back slightly to see her face in the candlelight.

"For what you said to those young men. I makes me feel so happy to know that you believe that you could spend the rest of your life with me."

Malik blushed in front of her for the first time he could ever recall. Yes, he had meant those words. But he didn't intend for her to hear them so soon. He was planning on saving that for another day for an outing.

"Then you know I will never back away from my word to you, yes?" He asked, his hand cupping her jaw as his thumb wiped a tear from her cheek. She nodded in silence, and made him forget to blow out that last candle.

- 10 months later -

"Are you ready to leave, Iman?"

"I am." She smiled, taking her things to secure on their horses for their journey. Malik took those few minutes to ensure that the man taking his place in his absence knew what to do. After the fourth time of confirming this, he was able to finally leave with his mind at peace.

"You worry too much, dear." She grinned to him, taking the lead on her horse as they walked away from the bureau, towards the city gates. Malik took the lead on his horse, and walked behind her for once. She knew the way to Masyaf as well as he did by now. Perhaps more since she had traveled there more recently. To their delight, they had a sort of escort waiting for them outside the gate. As the three of them mounted their horses, Malik of course taking a few moments longer, they began riding off with friendly chatter back to their home.

"Altaïr, it's good to see you again." Iman beamed, riding between the two men.

"It's good to see you as well." He smiled, extending a look to Malik, who nodded.

Since Malik had last seen Altaïr he had taken it upon himself to formally apologize for his actions so long ago. The misfortune that followed, their Creed nearly collapsing on itself and the uproar of Altaïr becoming the new grandmaster, had caused the two to become much closer, as they had been in their childhood. He was glad to see the change in Altaïr.

On the third day of their journey, only a day's ride from Masyaf, he had told them of his plans, and why he had called Malik back to their home.

"I plan to leave for Cyprus in a week. I need someone I can trust to look over the assassins while I am away." Altaïr said over the fire that night. Iman was already asleep at Malik's side, as the hour had grown late.

"What will you do there?"

"The templars are planning something there, and I intend to stop them. I do not know how long it will be before I return, or if I will return." He sighed and looked up towards the column of smoke that rose towards the star-flecked sky.

"Is there a certain time when I should begin to worry?" Malik asked, hesitant.

"When letters stop arriving. I intend to let you know what I am doing to the best of my ability." he said with a smile. "Someone should continue what I start, if something happens to me."

"I didn't know you had become so soft, Altaïr. Where is that ass of a man I knew?"

"He's still kicking, Malik. He just kicks templars." They chuckled and grew quiet. For a while, Malik's gaze was fixed on Iman. He was surprised to think he would feel safer knowing she was hidden away in a bureau than at the castle. It was a figure that was clearly recognizable. At least in the bureau, they could pass it off as a private library and have eyes kept away. His hand gently brushed back some of the hair from her face.

"You do best to make sure I don't need to come save you, Altaïr." Malik then said, smirking.

"If I am the one who needs saving, then there is something very wrong with what we're about to do." He replied, returning the smirk. They let the fire die out as they fell asleep not long after that comment.

Malik was already used to Iman using his chest as a pillow. Though moreso when they were sleeping on the dirt as they were now. It was comforting to have the warmth, and he knew she was safe. He feared that she might be taken from him while they slept, and each morning he woke up and she was still there, he smiled more, gave her a gentle kiss, and reminded her that he still loved her. There was now an additional comment made by Altaïr, when he was present for this. He didn't understand and it was all in good humor.

"If I didn't know better, I might think that you were expecting her to leave you." Altaïr joked the day they would be arriving in Masyaf. As they packed everything back onto their horses who were now freshened and ready to go, Malik shook his head with a smile.

"I fear she might one day. That is why I make sure she never forgets that I love her."

"I never will, at this rate. Soon enough you might be saying it in your sleep." Iman grinned, teasing him for it.

"He already does." Altaïr said, mounting the horse and waiting for the other two. They rode off a bit harder than they had been. He wanted to make sure that they could have a meal with their brothers before the next sunrise. The day was hot and long, as Malik had expected. As the trees became more familiar to Malik's eyes, the wind even seeming to be a greeting back home, he looked over to Iman, and grinned, for two reasons.

The first reason, was that he felt safe again. The assassins would never let this area be seized by templars. This was their home, and nothing felt better than coming home after a long trip.

The second reason, was that he had a boyish idea all of a sudden. And unfortunately he was already acting on it, only looking at Iman so she could expect it.

"Malik, please do not." She said softly. Her plea went unheard, as Malik began to push his horse harder. The last half mile to the gates of Masyaf were well know to him and Altaïr.

The two grown men began racing like children on their horses. Iman was left to watch, only picking up her pace slightly to keep an eye on them.

His horse was fatigued enough from the long day and the harder than usual ride. But the hills and curves were just as familiar as Altaïr spurred his horse on further to take Malik's bait. The sun was slinking down behind the mountains, and the air was growing more crisp by the minute it seemed. The rush of wind in his face was something he'd missed about being free from duty.

A glance to his side and he saw a hardened face crack into a grin as it then rushed past him. Altaïr's horse was used to the speed, and the endurance that needed to come with it. Yes, it was unfair, but he didn't mind it. This was all for fun, and to get them all home faster. Altaïr was already dismounting when Malik arrived, shortly dismounting as well. They waited several minutes for Iman to come up over the crest of the hill, grabbing their items and beginning the short journey to the castle.


	3. Chapter 3

No one in Masyaf had seen Malik for more than a day since he was here last. He was always holed up somewhere, doing something that required his full attention. There were very welcoming greetings thrown to the three of them, and he couldn't hide a grin on his face as they went through the market.

"Altaïr, take Iman to the castle and show her to my room. I wish to spend a few minutes alone here." He said, handing his single bag off to the other man, who nodded with a small smile, Iman following with no question.

He had a reason for staying behind. He'd spotted the little girl – who was neither little, nor a girl – that he'd rescued all that time ago. Malik saw her drop a fruit that she hadn't noticed. He picked it up and gently tapped her shoulder. When she turned, her face lit up and she set the basket of fruit down to hug him. That wasn't the reaction he was expecting, but it was more than welcome. The atmosphere had definitely changed with Altaïr in charge. There were more smiles, more families, and more chatter. It was growing to become a small city now. Everything was much livelier than it had ever been to Malik's eyes. The girl, or rather the young woman, who was holding to him had begun crying.

"I never got to say thank you." She said, stepping back from him. "You left before I was healed, and I've been searching for you since. I wish there was something that I could do for you for saving me." He could only smile warmly at her.

"If I ever think of anything you can do to aid me, I will come find you. I am expecting to be here for a while. You can come talk to me, if you want to."

"Where will you be?" She asked, looking like there was nothing else that mattered in the world.

"If not in the castle courtyard, then in the library." He said, inwardly smiling to himself.

"Thank you." She whispered again, picking up the basket, as well as the one citrus she had dropped, and began heading to her home. He watched her for a moment, and was pleased to see that tree was looking taller and fuller. A small idea came to his head and he grinned as he began to walk up the hills to the castle. Two young boys flew past him not a few minutes later. They were wearing the small robes of assassins as they raced around the corners and people. Shouting and laughter echoed from everywhere, so it was hard to say whether or not it was them, or some other children.

It was nearly dark enough for the stars to be seen when Malik returned, finally. He stopped to talk to old friends on his way to his chambers, knowing Iman would willingly unpack all his things for him. His tired feet now carried him to the dining hall, where Iman and Altaïr were already waiting for him. They were seated next to a few of the newly inducted novices, who were awed at seeing the two men together. As he glanced around the room, Malik was pleased to see a handful, if not more, of women wearing the white robes. They might not have held rank quite yet, but it was a start.

"Love, we should retire for the night." Iman whispered into Malik's ear, even when the room had cleared long ago.

"She is right," Altaïr said, "we can continue discussing all the changes tomorrow, and the day after. We've all earned rest, I think."

The three stood, and began shuffling their aching bodies to their respective chambers. Iman had never hesitated to enter the same room with Malik. Although she did now, when a few boys looked at her questioningly. Regardless, she did enter. The shut behind them. As per usual, she helped him take his robes off before getting into the bed, but she was silent.

"What is it?" He asked her. She sighed heavily.

"It's nice to be back home, but it doesn't feel the same to me."

"What do you mean?" He asked, once his outer layer had been removed, now beginning to pull off the inner layer.

"You weren't there, because you were in the market, but on the way here with Altaïr, some of the men began looking at me. And not in the kindest way. He saw the looks, and sent them away, but did nothing else." Iman paused. "They looked at me like I was a courtesan." She then said with a deep blush. "I just received that same look entering the room with you."

"Those boys know nothing about you, or I. They will draw their own conclusions, and they may be wrong about them. But you know I would never let you feel that way about yourself." He walked over to kneel before her as she sat defeated on the edge of the bed. "You are a stronger woman than to beat yourself to believing that they are right."

"I know, Malik. But it still hurts me to get those looks." She touched her hand to his cheek, and then pulled her hand away. She then changed topics. "It was good to see that there were more women, though. Even if they have no real rank."

"It is progress." He smiled, standing and kissing the top of her head. He turned to the basin and poured water into it so he could wash off the dirt and dust from the ride. With his back to Iman, he didn't hear anything from her except the rustling of her clothes falling on the floor and being picked up again. When he was satisfied with what he could pull from his skin, he turned and was mildly surprised to see her in front of him, with her hair let down.

There was something different, but he couldn't place what it was. Her night dress was one he'd seen her in too many times before, so that wasn't it. He knew she'd washed her face as well. It was something in the way she presented herself to him. Iman had closed the door when he wasn't looking, and a quick glance over to said door made him smirk.

So, it was locked. For what reason, he could only imagine. She pulled him over by the small fire she'd started in the room after she blew out the rest of the candles, and they sat on a tired rug for a while, just staring at one another. She had slowly moved herself from her bottom to her knees, crawling forward to meet him. Iman pressed her cold lips to his for a moment until they warmed. Before she could get much further away, Malik pressed his hand on her back, pulling her to sit in his lap. He hadn't noticed the cold until her skin met with his, and he shivered. His back was bare, his pants were fairly thin, and he knew that the quilt on the bed would be more than warm enough for both of them. Instead of carrying her to the bed, he told her to wait there for a moment, and pulled a pillow from it for both of them, along with the quilt.

"I thought the reason we came in here was so we could sleep on a proper bed." She grinned, letting him wrap them in the blanket on the floor. He rested on top of her for now.

"What, is this rug not enough for you?" He smirked.

"I think it needs to be replaced." She grinned, kissing him slowly. As soon as his body began to feel warm again, Malik brought his lips elsewhere. Her response was giggles and curling toes, as he mouthed at the hollow of her neck. She returned a few kisses to his ear, and temple, but remained considerably still for him with closed eyes. When he pressed his face into her neck, taking in her scent with a smile, he groaned quietly as her hand began massaging at his scalp. He didn't know why it felt so good, but he laid on top of her a little longer, letting her continue. His eyes began to close, though he wanted to stay awake a little longer.

He looked at her again when she ceased, smiling. Somehow, they'd managed to do anything but remove what clothing they had on. Usually that took priority between them. He gently pulled the neckline of her dress down some, kissing her collarbone with an especially gentle touch. He felt her legs shift some, her toes curled again, but there was no sound. He continued, being slow and gentle with her, to give her time to react how she wanted. There was no protest made by the time he had unbuttoned the night dress, and when he did, she appeared to have awakened a bit more.

Iman propped herself up on her elbows to kiss him, leaving her only source of clothing on the floor beneath her. He held her back firmly in his hand, glad that the nearby fire had warmed her some. While he held her, kissing her passionately, and with more intent, she began working at the fastenings on his pants, helping him out of them. Unfortunately for Malik, this is where he did not see what would happen next.

She pounced on him like a cat would a mouse, and suddenly she was on top of him for a change. His back smacked cold against the stone, and it made his skin prickle. The shiver that followed resulted from both that chill, and the sight of Iman so proud and in charge above him. Her forearms rested on his chest while she tried to soothe him with another bout of kisses and giggles. Meanwhile she had positioned herself just right, giving him cause to make a few small noises of slight discomfort and pleasure. It truly wasn't fair to him. And she laughed each time he voiced his complaint. Malik had hardly ever seen her like this; so free, confident, beautiful, and not to mention sending a fire straight to his groin with every light nibble on the jaw... Feisty.

Not too soon after, she was arching her back and murmuring his name into the air as he had sat up, and taken to other means of affection. It was all very surreal, and enjoyable for both of them, more for Malik when he saw the look she gave him when he stopped doing something she seemed quite in the mood for. He'd left marks on her that would fade in a few days, but the same could not be said from her. His back ached enough by the time they'd flopped onto the floor again, the fire nearly dead. But the new addition of scratches on his shoulders and back would be felt for at least a week. In the end, it was worth it, though. The bruise-like marks they'd left on each others' necks would serve as subtle reminders to anyone else that they wanted to be together. He would wear her marks proudly, not pulling his robes up to hide them as he once did.

The morning came too soon for either of their liking. Malik had duties to attend to, so he first got redressed, and then wrapped his lover in the quilt, laying her in the bed to sleep the rest of the morning. His muscles begged him to stop walking, but he knew that he would be sitting for most of that afternoon.

"Good morning, brother." Altaïr said with a smile, his eyes shifting slightly to his neck and then grinning. "I assume you and Iman slept well last night?"

"I'm sure she did. My body doesn't quite think so, though." He chuckled, both walking to grab something for their breakfast before heading out to watch the morning practice. For now, that was the extent of their personal talk. Since he had been away, he was re-familiarized with the routine of every day. Once a week novices were allowed to miss a day of practice. According to Altaïr, he found that this increased their ability to learn quicker, and push themselves. And since it was not a set day, they were free to use it when they saw fit. It was an interesting concept, not having them work themselves day in and day out. He watched with admiration as one of the young women threw a knife from across the courtyard, missing everyone and hitting the target.

"Malyeah is making swift progress. She is the youngest of all the women here who have devoted themselves to learning these skills." Altaïr commented, a hint of respect in his voice.

"It is natural to assume she wishes to set an example for others. But I doubt anyone is much kinder to her than they would be to any of their brothers."

"No. If there is even a hint of someone not putting in their full efforts, I call them out on it. That usually results in the privilege of a day off being taken away."

"That seems reasonable."

They moved on to the library after the morning session was over, to talk about other new changes. Malik saw that there were no longer guards lining the library, but that there were small groups of children of all ages clustered together.

"We have always taught our children our ways, since they were young." Altaïr began, "I think it's time that we let them decide when they want to do with their lives, instead of taking that choice from them."

"You have turned things around considerably. I can see that it is not wasted, though. Even the efforts here seem to slip past the walls and into the village."

"Fear is no way to live, Malik. Being open and truthful will gain more trust, and there will be no misunderstandings. We only ask that word of where we are be kept to hushed tones to other cities. It is not much to ask, since the village would be the first to be attacked should our location be yelled on the rooftops." He paused. "That brings me to another matter, but I would discuss it with you after my return. When I have thought more on it."

"This is all, for today, then?" Malik asked. A nod sent him searching for Iman, in the afternoon sun. He felt like a boy when he searched for her, and he knew he looked the part. To him, that was what made being with her so fun, they were never just adults with each other. There was always something else that made it a bit more interesting.

When Malik saw her sitting on a bench, he walked over with the skills he had honed from a young age, catching her by surprise. She couldn't help but grin at him, though he wished she hadn't put that damned veil over her face whenever she went out. He couldn't see her properly. But he knew she liked it, so he said nothing of it. They walked around for some time, watching everyone and then stowing away to be with each other for a few moments.

The cold of the evening set in and he could only smile as they walked inside the castle. She regarded him with confusion, and then shook her head. Once inside, she felt she could remove her veil, which of course he was even happier about. He talked with her silently over their dinner, though she insisted she wasn't hungry. Malik made her take at least a bite of bread and a sip of water before he would let her follow him to bed. She did so with a look on her face, but she smiled again soon enough.

"Iman, come to bed." Malik said, after she had gotten up to stoke the fire for the third time. It was not a request so much as it was a demand. She looked exhausted. Although he was sure he was no better off. She turned back to him, and curled beside him, not having spoken since voicing she hadn't been hungry. It was angering him, to say the least. She was never this quiet. He opened his mouth to speak, but then she began and he closed his mouth.

"I want you to train me." She said. Was that what had been on her mind all this time? Malik had forgotten entirely about that offer. But he swore he wouldn't back down.

"You do, now." He said, blinking a bit. She wrapped her leg around his as she usually did when they talked in bed. But she was nervous, he could tell.

"I thought now might be a good time to start, since we'll be here. And you'll have to watch over everyone else, but..." There was the pause.

"Go on."

"I feel as though I will be too old to be taken seriously by anyone." She said. "At least by the time that I am able to do much of anything."

"You don't know that. Your rank rises with the skills you attain and perfect. Yes, you will need to have some more... Basic lectures to begin with, but you may find yourself advancing through those quicker, since you will be able to understand them quicker than a child. Not to mention you already know how to read. That will be of an advantage to you." He smiled, trying to reassure her.

"Are you sure about this?" She asked again.

"I am sure. Tomorrow you should talk to Altaïr, though. Ultimately, it is his decision as to who will be trained. And he will hardly say no. If you think he might, you remind him that it was him who first brought the idea to me to present to you." Malik murmured in her hair, trying to coax her to sleep. She smiled and pressed her face into his chest. The bed was much softer than he had remembered it being. The quilt was tucked neatly around her body, and under her chin as she lay next to him. He was amazed he was still underneath it with room to sprawl out. He listened to her soft breathing for some time, and his eyes closed on him while he thought of what he would have to begin doing.

As Altaïr left for Cyprus, Malik took the role of grandmaster around Masyaf. Iman had begun taking her lessons not soon after, and for a while, nothing was happening. The transition for the first time, being able to hold so much power, was quite a smooth one. And he knew that if he ever began to notice anyone throwing glances at him behind his back, that he would need to check himself. Iman would never let him go too far from himself, though. She saw him every night, asked him questions to help her further her studies, and listened to the few complaints that he had. It was a wonder she didn't grow sick of him.

Through the days and weeks, the repetition began to settle in nicely for Malik. There were small problems that had yet to fade away, and

Malyeah was called by Malik no more than two months after Altaïr's departure. Officially, she had been given the weapons, and sash of a novice to wear around. She attempted to show little emotion, but then after she had put on her items, Malik stepped forward to hug her. She was young, and had been through much more than was expected of her. She had pulled through and was marking a new path for every assassin. No longer, did he hear comments from the other boys and men about "fighting like a girl" because now, there was a woman among them. Though sometimes, those words were flung from her mouth, causing a sting to her opponents, often resulting in a victory. Malyeah was humble though.

"I admire her." Iman said as she got in bed one night. "She's very humble, but you have to be careful around her."

"I have noticed that the women tend to develop their eavesdropping a little faster than the men." He said, holding her close. It was when he held her that he realized that they hadn't been truly close to one another in some time. He took the opportunity, while the hour was still reasonably early, and placed a gentle kiss on her ear. He felt her grin, as she pressed her face to his shoulder, acting like a little girl. It was cute.

Curious, he gently tickled at her side. She twitched and giggled, telling him to stop with a smile. He would only stop when she allowed herself to enjoy just a few moments with him. When she did laugh, it was loud, and joyous. Malik paused a few moments after she had curled herself around the foot of the bed to get away from him, glad he only had his one hand. He was grinning, and was somehow able to convince her to come back to him.

She didn't just come back. She crawled over, agonizingly slow for him, the few buttons near her collar a bit loose from how often he pulled on them. She pushed him down on the bed as she kissed him. Lately she felt the need to let him know she could use force, too. He let her, for now, though after a minute, when he felt her passion take a dive, he gently flipped her on her back, and began showing her more affection than he had been since he took these duties. It wasn't until he heard the tap on the door that he finally parted from her, shifting to sit up somewhat normal.

"Come in."

A young boy entered the room, soaking wet. It had started raining, apparently. He stood in the middle of the room, and held out a small piece of parchment that was folded and sealed.

"This just arrived. I was told to bring it to you." He said, panting. He must have run from the stables. Malik stood up to take it from him, opening it up. Reading over the letter from Altaïr briefly, he nodded, and then sent the boy on his way, advising him to change his clothes soon. He then shut the door, and sat near the fire on the rug to read it over more closely.

"Is everything alright?" Iman asked, not very tempted to move from the warm bed next to him.

"I believe so. I only skimmed it just now. Please let me read it through." He said, not paying much attention to how his words sounded. But the tone in his voice was something she'd grown accustomed to luckily, and she took no offense to how harsh he sounded just then. It was important, after all. Malik chuckled a bit and eventually set the paper on the desk, along with the others.

"What is it?" She asked with a smile. Malik proceeded to tell her.

"The woman he mentioned in the last letter? He's now finally admitting he might be starting to like her personality. That is ridiculous." He said, smirking. This Maria Thorpe that had nearly caused Robert de Sable to get away with his plan had been nothing short of Altaïr's prisoner for the past few months, it seemed. She'd so far kicked his ass with swordplay, kicked him not only in the face, but the gut, leg, groin, and even an attempt at his hand. She was spirited, he would admit that.

"Why is that so ridiculous to you?"

"She is too much like him. If they were any more alike, by his description, I might believe he's hallucinating himself in the form of a woman!" Malik smirked. Iman could only smile, not seeming to understand the hilarity of the situation.

Oh no. He'd said something wrong, hadn't he? She was starting to close off from him. Her back turned to him, and she muttered a good night. He leaned over to kiss her cheek, trying to hug her, but she didn't let him. When she was asleep, and he was not, he tiptoed out of the room, and went to take a short walk in the garden. Forgetting that it had rained, Malik cursed silently at the wet stone and grass on his bare feet. If it were summer, the humidity would be unbearable, and the stone would be dry. He continued walking, though not too far.

If Altaïr was really planning on being back by summer, he seemed nowhere near ready to start getting his things ready to leave. As he understood, it was nearly a months journey to Cyprus when he was forced to leave his prized horse at a stable. It was something of a bump in the few plans he had. Half a year away from home. And if he'd turned out needing to stay longer, he would pray that Maria would no longer draw breath. She had caused the two men trouble enough when she was just a decoy. But, Malik did not have control over everything. He knew what he could do here, and he had to stay focused on that as often as he could.

He sighed as he felt a drop of rain his his head, heading inside quickly to dry his feet, and go back to bed. The rain was relentless tonight, it seemed. He was already making plans for squeezing in more lectures tomorrow, then thought better of it. Tomorrow wouldn't be a bad day to let the assassins study as they needed, maybe relax some. He knew he would need it.

Iman had taken the whole bed from him, and he smiled, kissing her cheek to see if she might move. When she didn't, he pulled the quilt back over her where it was falling off, and went to go stoke the embers of the fire, laying on the rug, that he still found fairly comfortable. The embers were still glowing bright red when Malik shut his eyes. It was fairly warm in the room, even without a blanket. Though when morning arrived, Malik regret the decision.

The windows had frosted over, there was a draft coming from under the door. Iman was still wrapped cozily in his quilt. He got up as quickly as he could, forcing his way into the bed. She jumped when his cold arms wrapped around him, and turned to look at him.

"Malik! Why are you so cold?" She asked. He determined for once, that a lie would get him in less trouble with her. That thought amused him for a moment. She wasn't even his wife, and he was scared of her.

"You stole the quilt, and I didn't want to try fighting you for it." He said, sounding very tired and chilled. She quickly moved to wrap him under it as well, shivering when she pressed against him.

"You feel like you've been sleeping on the floor." She said, starting to shiver as well.

"Now why would I do that?" He asked, laughing at her some, to which she joined in. He made a mental note to make sure that he never got to the point with her where she threatened to kick him out of bed. They slept well into the morning, until one of the master assassins came in search of Malik. When the knock came, Malik unwillingly stirred from his comfortable slumber with his lover.

"Malik, are you awake?"

"Unfortunately, I am. I will be out in a moment." He replied. Iman whined quietly. He smiled.

"I'm only going out to let everyone know that I'm well. I won't have anyone take lessons today, unless they really desire a lesson from me." His lips brushed the tip of her nose, and he parted with her, pulling on a heavier set of robes from the small set of drawers. He made two rounds with everyone, looking outside to see slush and mud everywhere. No one would want to be outside today. Especially when the rain came back. A few assassins returned to their chambers, just as Malik did. Though he kept the door open, if only slightly, when he returned.

"So, what is the plan for today?" she begged from him when he pulled her into his embrace, burying his face in her hair.

"This." He said with a muffled voice. "Unless someone needs me, this is all I want today." His face was far buried in her hair, happily taking in the scent of it. She had bathed recently, it seemed. Her face was pressed to his chest, her arms tight around his torso to hold herself there in his warmth. They didn't talk at all, or move much for that matter. It was just being together that made them happy for now. Eventually he did part with her just enough to look at her face. His hand began combing through her black hair, and he smiled as she welcomed the touch of his hand to her hair. It was so soft, unlike his. He asked her several times before why it was so soft, and she claimed it to be natural. He didn't buy it for a moment.

"Mmm.." Iman made a noise that brought Malik's full attention on her. It wasn't very common for her to be making that sort of noise out of the blue.

"My dear?"

"It's nothing." She said quickly. She kissed him and then rolled onto her other side, pressing her back to Malik's front. He wrapped his arm around her middle to hold her still, resting his jaw on the top of her head. She appeared to have fallen asleep by the time dinner was on his mind. He woke her to ask if she wanted to join, but she declined. So, Malik stood up and stretched his limbs that were thankful for a day of rest, and went to go get himself dinner, planning on bringing back something for Iman just in case. While he was in the dining hall, he noticed that Malyeah was sitting alone. He spoke with her for a minute.

"Malyeah?"

"Yes, master?" She replied, straightening her posture. It was very clean. He smiled and a hand raised to tell her to relax.

"How is your training?"

"Well, I suppose. It's frustrating at times." She sighed, looking fairly beaten.

"I remember feeling like that. But you stand much taller than I did. Perhaps it's because you have many more supporting you now."

"That is what keeps me going every day and pushing myself." Malyeah smiled, looking down to her plate that was empty. There was silence between them for a moment.

"Have you noticed anything strange happening with Iman lately?" He then asked when it came to mind she might know. Malyeah looked up, curious.

"She has been sitting down more than usual. That is all I can say."

"Thank you. I'm only worried. She's been asleep nearly all day." Malik said, standing. Malyeah stood as well, to wash the plate off.

"If she is not well tonight, take her to the healer. It is better to be worried over nothing than to find out too late." the young woman smiled, walking off. She had a brain for logic and wisdom, which would come in handy in the coming years.

Malik returned to Iman, but not before filling a plate with fairly bland foods, his mind suddenly deciding that she must be sick. He would take care of her, and so he climbed the stairs to the room, shutting the door entirely this time. She woke to the soft sound of the closing door and rubbed at her eyes.

"Did I miss dinner?"

"I asked if you wanted to come and you said no. I brought you a few things, though." He said, setting the plate down on the table beside the bed, taking his place on it next to her. She rolled over and shivered. His hand touched her forehead and he was surprised at how cold his hand felt against her skin. She sighed at his touch, closing her eyes.

"That feels so good..." She murmured to him, her eyes opening half-way. She looked at him through her half-lidded eyes and he kissed her nose.

"You have a fever, my dear. Why don't you eat and I'll go get you a nice cool cloth to put on your head."

"Thank you." She said as she grabbed rather hungrily for the bread. He left to a small closet nearby, grabbing a couple cloths and then going to get a bucket to fill it. He thought for a moment, and looked outside. It was still pouring rain. He took the bucket and left it outside for a while. When he came back, it was nearly half-full. She smiled, picking up the now cold bucket, wiping the outside of it with a cloth as he carried it inside and back up the stairs, then throwing both inside the bucket to soak.

She was laying flat again, this time without the quilt. Malik sat down beside her, wringing out one of the cloths he'd thrown in, and pressed it to her forehead. She moaned happily with a smile, closing her eyes. She seemed quite perceptive to temperature at the moment. Come to think of it, she seemed much livelier during the extremes of weather. Whatever the cause was, he still loved her. By the time the moon was high up, her fever had gone down considerably, and he had taken to lying with her again, much the same as before he left to eat.

He slept until morning, checking her fever again, pleased to see it was gone. He gently woke her and helped her dress while she was half awake. She didn't need to grab much else, for she was to sit in a lecture today. He walked her to her designated spot and gave her a small pat of encouragement with a smirk, before walking off at his slow pace to observe the rest of the assassins. He took a small amount of time to help demonstrate how to properly wield and throw a knife, seeing as he almost lost an ear because of it. He made a small comment about "not needing to lose anymore limbs" and he lost control of the crowd for a few minutes. He kept his swordplay skills sharp as well, letting a few who dared challenge him in the ring, thinking they might best him due to his off-balance. But he had too long to adjust to this weakness, and it became his strength. He parried a fair share of blows that were meant to knock him down, and knocked back the challengers instead. He'd give them small hints to adjust their stance and how they thrust their swords forward but more often than not his advice went on more than a few deaf ears. They would learn soon enough. It wasn't long before he soon grew tired. The day had dragged on for too long it seemed. He agreed to a truce before he allowed himself to slink back into the arms of the castle, and rest in the library.

Malik took a chance to look through just a few books before he felt someone behind him. His ears picked up the steps, and remembered quickly who those steps belonged to. His body tensed and felt uneasy as soon as the name and face came to mind.

"Safety and peace, Malik." The man hissed his name. No doubt the relationship to the true grandmaster had left Abbas as sour at Malik as he was to Altaïr. He didn't even grace this poor man his face as he spoke.

"To you as well." He said, acknowledging Abbas as he continued, "Is there something you need from me."

"I heard that you have received a letter from Altaïr. I'm curious to know what he is doing." The man said, sounding fairly patient compared to his usual tempered nature. Malik finally turned.

"I am afraid I cannot tell you. This is information that is meant for him and I only." Malik paused. "I can tell you the reasoning behind this secrecy, though. He sends me letters so that if something were to happen to him, I would be able to take his place and carry on."

Abbas was silent for a minute, clearly thinking. "Thank you, Malik. Goodnight."

This caused a new wave of thoughts to hit Malik. How did he know about the letters, and how did he know that they were from Altaïr? He received dozens of other letters daily, and they were from everyone. If Abbas had seen the letter-

"Malik? Is something on your mind?" Iman whispered as she stepped in front of him.

"I'm just thinking about something. No need to worry." He wrapped his arm around her a bit tighter than he usually did as they ascended the staircase. The door was open and Malik rushed in ahead. There was someone in the room and Malik was quick to act.

"Drop the papers, novice." He growled. The young boy turned with scared eyes and did as he was told. There should have been some guilt in Malik's chest when he grabbed the boy and hauled him down to the dungeon. There should have been more when he interrogated the boy for his reasoning for being in the room when he wasn't present.

"I was told it was okay." The boy cringed, his back to the wall and his knees shaking as the man with one arm towered over him, his face black from the shadows the candles refused to make on his face.

"Who told you?"

"Abbas. He sent me to fetch something." The boy said, again cringing. This time because of the loud snarl Malik made. He calmed himself some as he spoke this time.

"You will do well to stay clear of Abbas from now on. That man is troubled and means no good. This time I will allow you to return to your chambers. Next time, you will not be so fortunate. Now leave." He said, taking a few steps back.

"T-thank you, master." The boy stammered before sprinting out of the dungeon, his small feet carrying him swiftly up the stairs.

Malik stood there for a long time before one of the guards stepped over and placed a hand on his shoulder, letting him know he'd been there too long, now. He murmured something to the guard, who then followed him outside, and into the castle.

Most everyone was asleep, and the two men were silent as they stalked the halls, looking for a certain door. Acting on a hunch, Malik returned first to his room, to ensure that all the papers were present and then locked them away in a small chest that had nothing else in it. Turning without so much as a greeting to Iman, he turned to the grandmaster's chambers. The door was open and a single candle was lit. He paused before nearing the door, silently drawing his sword. The guard followed his actions, and stayed close behind. Malik stepped into the door frame, his body filling it as he looked at the man in question.

"Abbas." He hissed.

The scrolls dropped from where he was standing and he scrambled to pick them up. Trying to cover up what he'd been doing. But Abbas was already found out.

"Malik! I'm just-"

"Give it up. The novice told us what you sent him to do. Come with me, at once and do not struggle, or I may end up taking your life for what you've done." Malik said, for once rather imposing to Abbas, rather than just a willing tool for Altaïr to throw out at him. He walked forward, though there was a look in his eyes that Malik did not trust. Before he stepped aside to let the guard take him, Malik slammed his fist into the man's nose, watching him fall to the floor unconscious. He then turned to the guard.

"Take him to a cell, and search him for anything before locking him to the wall. I will talk with him tomorrow. Do not feed him until I've arrived." He said, eyebrows stern and his body tensed. He sheathed his sword, just as the guard did before picking up Abbas' body and carrying out the duty he'd been given. With slow steps, Malik entered the room again, looking at what Abbas had been doing.


	4. Chapter 4

Maps of far off cities and other countries were before him on the floor. A crumpled paper with words written on it was almost hidden, if not for his eye. Crouching to pick it up, he opened it up more, smoothed it out, and began looking at what notes Abbas had taken. Cyprus. Maria Thorpe. Limmasol. Malik chuckled. Abbas was trying to find Altaïr. And it was funnier to him that the man didn't appear to have the slightest idea of how to read a map, or any idea of the world around them. Abbas had pulled out a map of India, and seemed to be nowhere near close to where Cyprus was. Malik was not sure himself, but he knew it wasn't that far away. He rolled up the maps, and placed them back where Altaïr kept them. He was surprised at how large and empty the room was. Then again, he hadn't much settled into the roll of grandmaster before he left to meet Malik and Iman.

With that thought, Malik soon left, shutting the door, and returned to her. She hadn't waited for him to return before she fell asleep. But the way her body was angled suggested that she knew he would come back, and that she wanted him to hold her. So he shrugged off the robes he was wearing, and laid on the bed next to her, pulling her warm body close to his as his eyes shut, and he tried to ignore the feeling of anger building up to get some sleep. He wasn't able to get much, because before he could fall into a deep sleep, Iman was awake, and forcing him awake as well. She had a coughing fit all night and nothing seemed to help until she was curled up in his arms as he sat up in bed, soothingly rubbing his hand on her back. If he stopped, it would wither start again, or she would make a small noise to tell him not to stop. He didn't get much sleep after that, and could only close his eyes to rest them.

Iman was being forced to rest inside the next day, seeing as she was sick again, and Malik sent the healer up to her, making sure that the man arrived before he went to deal with Abbas. He took his time eating beforehand, not remembering clearly why he'd decided this was necessary and needing to think. As he walked down, he shuddered at how cold it was. The guard who'd helped him was still posted, and Malik dismissed him so he could rest. The other followed him deeper inside to where Abbas was.

The man looked even more haggard than usual, and was shaking. Malik stepped closer to look him in the eye with more anger than he'd had over the last year combined all together. Abbas shrunk considerably from his gaze.

"What were you trying to do last night?" Malik rumbled. His voice echoed in the empty stoned room, making him seem that much bigger to Abbas.

"I'm sick of not knowing anything around here anymore." He spat at Malik's feet. "You and Altaïr are too secretive."

"Not anymore than Al-Mualim was." Malik replied with a hiss. And it was a hiss of the truth. In fact, Altaïr and Malik were more open about what they did than anyone could recall in the history of the creed. The was a quirk on Malik's lips when there was no response to that from the man sitting on his knees.

"How long am I to be kept here?"

"Until I believe you to have thought deeply on your actions." Malik said, turning away now. Before he took to the stairs, Malik spoke softly. "You may feed him, now."

He'd decided to keep Abbas in there until Altaïr would return. That turned out to be another three months before Malik had received a letter where he had even mentioned returning to Masyaf. Though reading through that letter, all three pages of Altaïr's large handwriting, seemed to be almost too much for Malik to handle all at once.

_Malik,_

I am pleased to say that my work in Cyprus has proven to be very successful. The bureau here is strong, and the people as well. I am sad to say that the library that the templars held has been destroyed. I will spare you long details of my adventures for when we return.

"We?" Malik thought to himself as he read. That was curious. He continued.

_Maria has proven to be a good companion. Stubborn woman as she is, there is more that meets the eye. Not only is she very competent with a sword, but her ability to understand the concepts we have learned from a young age is amazing. She does not feel a strong connection to her order as she once did. After seeing what they did to all that knowledge, I feel she will be more open to what teachings I can offer. I wish you could meet her sooner._

Malik, I will be returning with Maria. You are not to treat her as a templar, but as you would any other woman. You are to tell everyone these instructions as well. I would have you and Iman meet us in Acre, as well. I will trust your judgment on who will watch over Masyaf while you are away. By the time this letter reaches you, Maria and I will have already been at sea for a number of days. I will mention that if we arrive early, we will wait for your arrival in the bureau. I will hope that you do the same.

As always, I hope that you and Iman are doing well, and I will see you shortly. Safety and Peace upon you both.

Altaïr

He smiled some. The majority of that letter had been about Maria. If Altaïr had affection for the woman, he would hear it nonstop from Acre to Masyaf. That alone would be two weeks, if the weather was good. As he stood from his desk, filing the letter away, he turned to look to Iman, who was sitting quietly, sewing a hole in her training outfit closed. He offered to help her on several occasions, but she refused. He was proud that she was nearly a novice by now. She could begin doing what she longed to do. At the same time, he felt that she would be away from him often. Unless she made the decision to focus on support roles. But he'd never asked her. He forgot it, sitting beside her and gently placing his hand over hers to force her to stop.

"Malik, I was-" She was cut off by his kissing her affectionately. It was sudden and it took her a moment to remember how she was supposed to react. As she set her sewing down, leaning into him more, she made a small noise of surprise when her back was pressed to the floor. He pulled away from her with a grin.

"You weren't doing anything that can't be done later." He said softly, then returning his lips to hers, only shifting to his side so he could run his hand down her side from her ribcage to her hip, letting his hand rest there for some time.

"And what about you?" She asked suddenly, eying him as she caught his intent. She didn't need to ask additional questions to get that from him. He gave it to her willingly.

"Altaïr has asked me to meet him in Acre in nearly a month. He said he would like you to be there as well, but I don't want to force you to come with me-"

"I'd love to go. We haven't been outside Masyaf and alone for the longest time. And, we'll get to see an old friend again." She said readily. It was almost as though she'd been reading over his shoulder.

"Then we will need to be prepared to leave in two weeks." He said, ending that conversation quickly, letting her return to her duties, her playful look saying more than he needed to have at the moment.

After that not much else worthy of note to either had happened. It was nearing the end of spring, which meant long hot days were coming on again. The trip was not one that Malik was particularly looking forward to, as the dust would rise, and the air would be fairly stagnant. The nights would not be any better. But regardless, it would be several days without worry of where assassin's would take their missions, or who would train where. He could think of himself, and Iman. They began packing early, and Malik had chosen one of his comrades to take his place, noting their trip to Acre would be only a day or two before they headed back.

"Do not ride so hard, Malik." Iman warned him as he began to stray from her. He couldn't help that he wanted to get away from his responsibilities. His other excuse was the earlier they reached Acre, the more time they would have alone before he would be forced to mock his brother with his affections for the former-templar woman.

"I'm anxious." He replied once she was at his side again, taking her pace at a trot.

"For what?"

"Altaïr is returning with a woman." He said with a smirk. Her eyes grew bright with interest.

"Tell me what you know!"

The remainder of the day was spent with them gossiping like old women about the stranger who would be joining them shortly, Iman mostly curious if he had any details on what she looked like.

"She is English, I know that much."

"An Englishwoman? Altaïr wants an Englishwoman?" Iman said as she cackled. It was truly an odd thought for two people of such different cultures to be so close to one another in this manner. Of course, they knew nothing of the nature of the relationship. But based on word from the other man, it was fairly clear where he wanted to stand with her.

"Rather lie with her." Malik had mentioned as they ended the conversation once deciding on a place to set camp while it was still light out. Tying their horses to a nearby tree, and gathering wood, they set a fire and watched as the sky grew dark, lighting up with thousands of stars. They fell asleep, woke up, and began the same process for about five more days. When they were a days ride from Acre, knowing that they were early, Malik turned to Iman late in the night before she was asleep.

"Iman? Are you still awake?"

"I am." She said, very tired. She had some dirt on her face that would be washed off very soon, but the color in her cheeks could not be hidden. He tried to wipe some of it off with his rough hand and she grinned. "What is it?"

"How would you feel about becoming my wife?" He said as he looked her in the eye. The color on her cheeks grew darker as her grin grew wider.

"Are you joking with me?" She giggled.

"No, I'm not." He knew his face was too serious, so he let himself smile just a little. And suddenly it was like all the energy she'd lost while riding had come back to her. She was pulling at his clothes, and her own quickly, hands running over his scalp and down his long-since scarred back. He left his own marks on her as usual, and suddenly that night became rather cold, and he needed to have her close to him.

His face was nuzzled happily in her hair, his arm around her middle. He then realized he hadn't quite gotten an actual answer from her. So he kissed the back of her neck, testing the waters.

"Mm?"

"I never got a real answer from you." He muttered, falling asleep slowly.

"I would be a fool to refuse you, Malik. I want nothing more than to be your wife someday." She said, yawning as she finished speaking and curling into his warmth, their clothes, although dirtier, helping to ward off the seemingly chilly winds.

"I promise you that I will get you something to show for it when we reach Acre." Malik said softly, not knowing if she was awake or not. He knew that he was asleep in the next five minutes, having a pleasant dream for the first time in what seemed like ages.

The following day, they rode much closer to one another, the entrance to the city much easier than Malik had ever remembered it being. Slightly off-putting, he told himself to relax, and focus on getting the two of them to the bureau before sundown. The rafiq greeting both of them by title, and then by name. They had come unannounced, but Malik soon revealed that they would soon be accompanied by two more persons. He kept their names out of it.

"Please, rest before your long day tomorrow." The rafiq had advised the couple, leaving the room himself. The walls were familiar, although different at the same time. All the bureaus were constructed to be identical, but each had their own markings to make them stand out, as well. In this particular bureau, every window was covered by thick curtains, the floors covered in rugs and pillows, and the blankets were thicker. The air from the sea cooled everything down, and even made some summer days as cold as winter ones.

Iman unpacked some, getting familiar with the pillows once more, smirking at Malik when he entered the room, and she was only half-dressed. Her hair was being pulled back for a change. He was shocked at how different she looked when her hair was like this. Instead of flowing freely, it flowed down neatly down one shoulder and across her front in a braid. It brought out the narrowness of her jawline, and the small marks that Malik had left on her were now more visible.

"What are you staring at?" She asked, turning as her traveling clothes hung to air out some.

"Your hair." Malik held his hand out, wanting her to join him as he lie down. It was well into the night, and he was tired. He just wanted to hold her before he lost himself in more dreams. She did as he asked, but not without pulling something over herself. There was nothing neat about the way they rested on one another, and it was very clear by this that they were very close and comfortable.

As the first full day in Acre began, Malik and Iman faced each other, letting the other clean off any dirt from their figures, silent and stealing affections no different than they might steal a life. Now that Iman was skilled to know how this was done, she became more ferocious whenever Malik attempted to bed her. There was now always some struggle in some form for her to try and take the advantage away from him, and there were times he gave up sooner than he'd have liked, simply because his body told him to. She was growing in a way that made him see that there was nothing left of the girl he met in the market in Masyaf that day. But there was hardly anything left that was the same of him. He was not naively following the creed, he was not a boy in love, and he was not blind to the world. Their later trip to the port of Acre had shown him this.

"I forgot what the sea air had tasted like." Iman grinned, as they both stood near the wall to one of the gates, watching the boats come in and sail off.

"When have you been to the sea?" He asked, realizing he didn't know much about her life before he'd met her, besides how she met Altaïr.

"When I was a girl. My mother took me and meant to take me but she left while I wasn't looking and I lost her. My father came looking for me later. I didn't realize until years later that I was almost kidnapped." She said as though it were nothing.

"Where would you have gone? Do you know?"

"Some place to the west, I believe. It was where my mother was from by birth, that's all I can say." She shrugged, leaning into him a bit as the wind grew stronger, the clouds blocking the sun for most of the day.

"If I showed you a map, could you point to it?" He asked her. She nodded fairly enthusiastically, and he smiled.

"Let's return the bureau, then. We can get back inside before it rains again." He left suddenly, meaning to race her back to test her. He had no worries that she knew where they were going, only that she might get hurt. As he ran through the streets, she took her advantage and went to the roofs, jumping across gaps where she could, only stopping to drop down so they could walk into the bureau together. He went to the rafiq and asked to borrow a few maps, receiving them and quickly rolling them out in front of himself and Iman. He pointed out where they were at the moment, and suddenly was able to point out where Altaïr and Maria were coming from. He watched Iman look over the map, and she suddenly pointed to an area near the coast of the ocean.

"That is..." Malik paused, trying to recall the name, as it was not marked clearly on the map. "Brittany I believe." He smiled. "Maria is from here." He said, pointing to the island not seeming to be too far off.

"Amazing." She said with a smile, asking him more about what he knew.

Malik had looked these maps over thousands of times. He knew where each of the major cities were, remembering small stories his father had told him of those lands. He knew more to the east it seemed, but even if it was not entirely accurate, he was glad to know where, in part, Iman had come from.

"You've never mentioned your parents before." He said quietly as they lay down beside each other that night, still going over the maps in their minds.

"I didn't depend on them very much. It was my uncle in Masyaf who did most of the raising for me. But he didn't live to me reach the age of twelve. By then, I'd known all I needed to in order to survive on my own. My father took me to Jerusalem one day. When we got there, he told me to wait at the church until he came, and I waited for years for him to return. I don't know what happened to him, where he went, what he was doing... But I waited until I decided that I'd rather die alone than try to wait on him any longer. I always figured he ran off to go find my mother. He missed her terribly." Iman said, still speaking lightly. It was strange to hear from her.

"Do you remember her well?"

"No. I remember she would scold me for getting too dirty. I took baths every three days." She chuckled. "I remember how much I hated her for it. But it made for some nice habits."

"I'm glad you have some memory of her." He sighed, kissing her forehead, trying to remember his own mother. There were only glimpses of her face that he could recall, and not very good ones. She had brown eyes, just like his father, and he remembered a gentle, solid laugh. But that was it. All he could remember of his mother. It was a good memory to have, but sometimes it wasn't enough. No one seemed to know her well, either. If they did, they were long gone or dead by now.

"Is something troubling you?"

"There seems to be quite a bit I don't know about you." He said with a smile. "I'm glad I can still learn about you."

Another day passed with the maps rolled out, the rain keeping them well inside. No one came barreling through the hatch on the roof, or bombarded through the door, so the couple didn't bother thinking that Altaïr and Maria had returned. The next day held more promise, as the sun was finally breaking from the clouds. Early in the morning, a large boat with mostly shipments came through, and Malik gently prodded Iman with a smile, as two figures, one much more familiar than the other, walked off the boat and onto the dock. Many others were greeted from other ships meant for passengers, so it was not odd that there was much excitement from the two.

As the four approached, Malik saw how Altaïr moved around Maria. As though he was protecting her. His eyes had circles under them, but they were bright and he smiled, opening his arms to embrace his brother and best friend. Introductions were given to Maria, but Malik surprised them all with introducing Iman as his fiancee. Altaïr chuckled and congratulated them, before then himself introducing Maria more formally as a friend. Malik was surprised at the blue of her eyes and how pale her skin was compared to his own. She looked like a child's doll, but he knew that she was anything but a doll. He was nervous around her, for his own safety at the least. They began walking back to the bureau, and Malik continued staring at the other two.

Those glances they gave had not come from simply talking for all that time.

"Malik, stop that. It's not nice." Iman had to remind him in hushed tones to not stare so intensely. Eventually, she offered to trade places with Altaïr, curious to talk to the now not-so-foreign woman. It was well-timed, as they took a break to eat lunch.

"How was your trip back, Altaïr?"

"Much smoother than the way there." He chuckled. "I forget, did I tell you what Maria first did to me when we reached land and had docked?"

"No, please tell me."

"She kicked me in the face and left me to face more than a dozen angry men." He said.

"There were not more than a dozen! There were eight, Altaïr!" Maria said suddenly. The woman certainly could listen. They broke into a small squabble, and Malik could only grin. Yes, it was becoming more obvious what had really happened that the man was ignoring.

Later on, when all four were resting in the shade in the bureau, Iman had rested her head on Malik's chest, seeing at they were lying on a few pillows. Maria had already started to take a nap hours beforehand, and there was a small joy for Malik to see Altaïr being so gentle with her, letting her rest on him as though it were nothing at all.

"Malik, that is your name?" Maria said later while they ate. He nodded and she continued, "What exactly do you do, seeing as you don't have both arms?"

"I'm a cartographer, and I teach some of the novices." He smiled to her. "And what did you do previously?" That was the only way he could ask about the templars around her that she would willingly respond to.

"Most of my work was not any different than what you or Altaïr might do. Although there was not so much sneaking around, I'm sure." She grinned. It was a wicked grin that seemed to change someone's mood, stealing away to his room sooner than the rest. After their meal, Malik walked with Iman to their own room, trying to pretend he didn't hear a growl from the closed door. It became harder to ignore as the night went on. He looked to Iman and she shook her head, both laughing quietly.

"I doubt we'd be much quieter if we had to deal with all that tension being built up for so long." She shrugged.

"I don't want to find out."

"Neither do I."

He held her close, somehow falling asleep not much longer after they fell silent. The air had grown much colder overnight, and when Malik woke before the sun had risen, Iman had curled herself around him in such a way that he was acting as her blanket. He felt only a little guilty about getting up, and leaving her there. Though not before giving her a real blanket to clutch to. He walked out to see if there would be sun at all. He didn't get far before he realized there would be no sun for a few days. The rain was falling heavy on the stone. But seeing as Malik wasn't tired, he looked for something quiet to do. He stuck his nose in a book for more than a few hours.

"Are you always reading, Malik?" Altaïr teased as he walked out, pulling his robes over himself. It had begun to lighten up outside, finally.

"No. Only when you're around." He smirked, setting the book down, though. "I hope you didn't have plans to leave, today."

"Not at all. I would rather wait until this passes over." He said, standing in the doorway and looking over at the rain.

"That may be a few days."

"We have time. After all, Maria and I did arrive two days earlier than we had planned to."

"I imagine you still want to spend time with her."

"I might return to her in a few minutes." He smirked. Malik shook his head.

"If I'm completely honest with you, I don't entirely trust her. But if you believe you can, then whatever consequences come will be placed on your shoulders." Malik sighed. Altaïr nodded.

"I hope you will change your mind in time. But there isn't much else I can do other than to tell you to get to know her on your own." He replied, understanding, even expecting that comment from Malik. "Now," He began, walking over to sit across from Malik as he changed subject, "When did you finally decide to take Iman for your wife?"

"The day before we arrived here." Malik said with a smile. "If I'm remembering correctly that was five days ago, now."

"And you've known each other for two years." Altaïr commented, leaning back a bit with a smile. "You thought I was wrong about what I said."

"I didn't think you had any sense into relationships. I can see very clearly that I was wrong in assuming that, especially now." Malik said, trying to refrain from mentioning anything about last night. Although it was Altaïr who eventually brought that up himself.

"I hope you and Iman didn't have any trouble sleeping last night. We're used to being entirely alone in an area." He smirked.

"We slept after mocking you two for a few minutes."

"That's good to hear."

Both of the men could only laugh at what had just happened. This had never been a subject of conversation before, and it was a bit strange that they would start now. Altaïr had been in more than a few relationships with other women before, but they never seemed to last more than a month or two. In his mind, Malik didn't see why this would be any different. In the very back of it, though, he knew he was wrong in thinking that. There was that unspoken passion and love in each gaze they gave to one another whether they realized it or not. At least they wouldn't be alone anymore. That had always been the worst, having to answer to questions of whether or not they had met anyone worthwhile. It was embarrassing to say no, and even more to try and explain why.

"Do you know when you might have the ceremony?" Altaïr asked suddenly, pulling Malik from his deep thoughts.

"No. I would imagine Iman would like it to be as soon as we return." He smiled. "We haven't really talked much about it, though."

"Why not?"

"I've finally started to get to know about her past." Malik shrugged. "It's interesting."

"What exactly have you learned?"

"Her mother was from Brittany, and her father was from Egypt." He said, smiling. "And somehow, she has decided that our way of life is what's best for her."

"I think we both knew for a long time that if we ever found someone worth spending the rest of our lives with, there was no way that it would be a woman born and raised in Masyaf." Altaïr chuckled, clapping a hand on Malik's shoulder. He nodded, and grinned.

"Perhaps you more than myself."

"Perhaps."

There was another round of silence until they were both joined by their counterparts, no one willing to go outside today. Malik held Iman as she wrapped a blanket around them both, having taken it out with her, grinning. She was very warm and he did his best not to get so absorbed into her that he forgot about the other two. Though when he looked over he was amused. Maria was curled up and sitting next to Altaïr, and refused to get any closer to him. She was definitely stubborn, though when he picked her up and set her in his lap, she was like a cat, looking for the warmest place she could find.

Malik could see why Maria seemed to be so attached to Altaïr. He wasn't as harsh in appearance as he was when he had all his weapons around him, and even his face seemed softer on the edges without the hood covering his face. That scar on his lip was traced over time and time again by her finger. He didn't mind at all, and his grip around her tiny body was more relaxed than Malik had seen him, even in his sleep.

"Iman." Malik said suddenly, his position against the wall straightening, "I have a small task I need you to perform." He had suddenly remembered that he'd needed to put her up to a final test before she would become a novice. She straightened as well and waited for him to continue.

"I want you to go wait by the docks again. Only for an hour. Tell me if there is anything out of place when you return. And take my cloak to keep yourself dry."

She nodded, giving him a small kiss before she went to get herself ready. Altaïr gave her a look.

"I'm testing her to see if she is ready to become a novice." Malik smiled, keeping it silent as the woman left, her steps silent and anything feminine about her gone from sight.

"So soon?"

"Malyeah has been at the rank for some time, now. I think you'll be surprised to see how many of the men have come to respect her."

"I thought you didn't allow women into your ranks." Maria commented, looking to Malik, more than the man behind her.

"Before Altaïr left for Cyprus, we had made that change. It's quite a sight to see."

"There are not many, are there?"

"No. Not yet. There are still doubts but the opportunity is there for anyone. I'm sure in time even you could join our ranks."

"You would so readily put my past out of mind?"

"I wouldn't so readily do that. But I'm sure you will prove me wrong when I say that I still expect you to take a blade to his throat in the night, and do the same to myself." He shrugged. Maria laughed at him, and it was very interesting to hear such a lighthearted laugh from someone who had the thought to kill that same man months ago.

"I've been told I would suffer if I even made a motion to doing such a thing."

"If it is Altaïr, I'm sure the punishment would not be nearly as severe as it would be from any other."

"Malik." The man said, snapping at him.

"You know that it is the truth, brother." Malik said, silencing him quickly. He stood and turned to put the book back, letting the two of them be alone, while he waited for Iman to return for some time. She arrived with a loud splash on the ground, and she shook off her clothes that had soaked her to the bone. He'd prepared for this and had started a fire to dry her clothes by, handing her dry clothes when she entered the room.

"They've begun to notice missing shipments from suppliers." Iman said as she shivered out of her wet robes. "Other than that, nothing is out of place." She finished. Malik smiled and then kissed her affectionately once she had removed her clothes. He sat her down by the fire with a blanket before she could put her spare clothes on. He then sat behind her and wrapped his arm around her, kissing her cold ear and smiling.

"I didn't even tell you what to look for and you found it. I'm impressed." He muttered. "I think we'll have to make you a novice when we return home."

"I can't wait to get away from this stupid rain." She shuddered, smiling and nuzzling into him. He took her hands into his to warm one, remaining still as they sat there, talking quietly. There was a knock on the open door. Malik turned his head and was surprised to see Maria.


	5. Chapter 5

"Do you mind if I sit with you for a while? Altaïr ran off and made me stay here." She was already stepping in, and she looked rather shy.

"Please sit down." He heard Iman say. She was able to pull her clothes on underneath the blanket quickly, but she was still very cold. Maria smiled and sat down beside the two of them, keeping more than a few feet of distance between them. Iman kept close to Malik, and played with his fingers for some time.

"How did you lose your arm?" Maria asked. "Altaïr wouldn't tell me."

"That's because it was partially his fault. And there's much more to the story than he would like to remember. You would be surprised how arrogant and proud he used to be about his skills." Malik said, wanting to put some perspective in her outlook on him.

"Do tell." She grinned, listening very eagerly to his story that spared little details. She asked many questions from him, but they were good questions that he had never been asked before. Such as why he had bothered to let his brother get so close to Altaïr to begin with.

"I knew that Altaïr had skills that Kadar needed to learn. That was the only reason I was willing to let him come along. It was ironic what happened when we finally reached the treasure room." Malik said, growing pale. Iman's hand squeezed his, having never heard the story like this. He was sure he saw Maria's eyes glassier than usual when he finished the story. She was silent for a while.

"I'm glad he's changed for the better. And I'm glad that you didn't let that stop you from continuing to live."

"There was some motivation for returning home again." He said quieter, resting his chin on the shoulder of the woman sitting in front of him.

"You've known each other for a while, haven't you?"

"Only two years." Iman said, shrugging. "I've known Altaïr for around five, though."

Something snapped as she said that, because next Malik knew, the two women were yelling, and he couldn't keep up. He forced Iman to sit, and ushered Maria out of the room, determined to keep them apart until Altaïr returned. He didn't know what happened and he looked to Iman for an answer. He received a turn of the back. In his own bout of anger, he ripped the blanket from her, letting her suffer from the cold alone for an hour or two. He was reading again when Altaïr returned, soaking wet as well. He went straight to see Maria, and then came stomping out to Malik.

"What happened while I was gone?"

"Maria came to sit with Iman and I, which went well. One minute Iman was making a comment about how long she'd known you, and the next, the two were fighting. I don't know what happened, and I don't want to do anything else to raise the issue again. I'm afraid the city might burn, otherwise."

"Perhaps we should leave tomorrow, regardless of the weather." He then shivered. "Forgive me for not wanting them to be in the same room together. Maria and I will eat alone tonight."

"It will be for the best. Be careful with her temper." Malik sighed as he turned back, leaving a trail. It wasn't much longer before he went crawling back to his lover. Though she was even more upset it seemed.

"You didn't even try to support me." She hissed when he walked in.

"I didn't know what you two were talking about, or why there was yelling." He said, holding his hands up.

"You're not sleeping neat me tonight." She said, taking her first swipe at him that night.

"Then enjoy sleeping on the stone floor without a blanket." He replied, making a point of it by sitting on the pillows with their blanket in his lap. She stood firmly for a few minutes, but she was no match for his willpower. She rushed over and curled into his embrace, upset with herself now. She didn't like being so weak around him, when she could be so strong against others.

"It's not how it should be." She said as a few tears rolled from her cheek and soaked into the fabric of Malik's clothes.

"And why not? You love me, don't you?"

"Of course I love you."

"We know each other better than anyone else. Any weaknesses we might have, the other one knows of, and we can't protect against those attacks. When you attack someone you don't know anything about though, it makes it harder to get through. You can be tougher against them, as well." He said, shocked that it actually related to what he wanted to talk to her about.

"Malik, I don't want a lecture about what happened." She groaned, very tired.

"You need it, though, and you're going to listen to me." He said sternly. "I know I'm not one to speak about liking her, but there is a line I know I won't cross with her. If I see she's getting upset with something I'm doing, I'm going to stop doing that." He paused. "You should do the same."

"But Maria-"

"I don't care if you think she started it. You need to take responsibility for what happened between you and her. I'll bet that Altaïr is giving her the same talk, right now. And we're not talking about this anymore, so don't even try." He finished, kissing her gently, even though she wasn't ready to stop talking about it.

"I hope she gets sick on our way to Masyaf." Iman muttered finally.

"Be careful of what you say..." Was his final warning, before letting her go, grabbing their meals for them so they could be alone, and then returning to her.

They ate rather slow, Malik almost forgetting to mention that they were leaving the next day. Iman seemed rather happy about this, although she showed it in an unusual way. Instead of packing right away, she sat silently in front of the fire, humming to herself as she stared at it. For a while Malik was worried, but when she stretched out after an hour or so and then began to pack her things, he thought nothing of it.

As it would happen, Maria did get sick on their trip back to Masyaf. It wasn't more than a cold, but Iman was clearly in a much better mood with each passing day. Malik claimed it to be the better weather, as they got further away from Acre, the sun shone more and more each day. She also rode as far away from Maria as she could without parting from the group. It began to annoy him how much of a point she thought she needed to make. But soon enough they were back home, and she could get back to her lessons, and avoid Maria altogether.

Altaïr received a very warm welcome from the assassins. Everything fell easily back into place, and when he received word of what Abbas had done, he looked to Malik to follow him down for a visit. It wasn't a very long visit, and Abbas was released, skin and bones by now.

Malik's shoulders fell when he was back in the comfort of his own room, and fell back into his old routine. A new rafiq had taken his place in Jerusalem by now, so Malik took up teaching the basics of cartography, as well as coming up with new assignments for the more experienced hands, getting more recent maps put together by the week. Maria occasionally came by to watch him work, and through these sessions together, they had begun to develop a better relationship by the time Iman had finally decided to hold a wedding ceremony. It was to be two weeks after she was accepted as a novice among the assassins. This ceremony was done as a group, so she would not be alone. In fact she had been waiting for nearly a month after they had returned for this. But it did happen.

She left a location up to Malik. She claimed he knew the area better. He smiled and knew a perfect location, if they could get the permission to use the space. The day after she had been given the rank of novice, Malik headed down to the village, and went to the tree by the cliff, waiting for some time before the young woman had approached him.

"Malik. You're back." She smiled. He greeted her with a smile of his own, and went straight to business.

"I remember you saying that you would do me a favor, when I came up with something." He started. "Is that still true?"

"Of course. What do you need?"

"I was wondering if Iman and I might be able to have a small wedding ceremony by this tree. I know you two still talk, and I know how much it would mean to her if we could." Malik smiled, knowing eventually he'd have to talk to the young woman's parents. She nodded, and proceeded to bring them out so the adults could talk. The explanation of why he was given a favor brought back unfortunate memories for the two, but they agreed to allow it, so long as they would be allowed to witness. Malik left with a grin, and practically ran back to Iman to tell her the news.

"Good evening, my love." She greeted him as she returned to his room, looking worn out from her sword training. He moved from his desk to help her put her things down, embracing her warmly for a moment.

"Good evening." He said after giving her a kiss. She made a face and then smirked.

"I need a bath soon."

"Why not now?" He said, already nudging her out quietly.

"No, not now!" She giggled, catching his intent. "We can go when everyone is asleep." She then said, turning them to the dining hall. He sighed and followed along, pleasantly surprised that she and Maria almost seemed to be getting along again, as they greeted each other in passing with smiles. It'd been long enough since their fight. Malik still had no clue what the cause of that had been.

Iman had made it her objective to tease Malik until they could be alone, it seemed. And if he tried to ignore her, she threw a grape at him, hitting his cheek every time. He began throwing them back playfully, not aiming to hit her, but get them back on her plate. One went a little too far and rolled off under someone's foot. She gave him a look like he had just sent someone to be murdered, and he responded by throwing another grape with a grin. Altaïr walked by a few moments later, grinning.

"Don't make too much noise." He said as he passed them. Iman lost control and snorted, trying to hide it, while Malik just stared at him as he walked off, curious to know how he had any idea of what they were doing.

"I swear he must have been under the table, or something." Malik muttered, grinning as he watched Iman try to control herself again. Maybe she'd had a little too much to drink with her meal. It didn't matter, though, because they were among the last to leave, and they spent more than enough time waiting for everyone to go to their rooms.

After the door to the bath room was shut, and they were sure no one was hiding (that had unfortunately happened on more than one occasion), Malik began warming the water for their bath, smiling as she stretched out and took her clothes off.

"Malik, would you rub my back a bit?" She asked, walking over. He didn't reply to her, but he began rubbing at her shoulders after he swept her hair to the front, gently kissing at her neck more as his hand went lower, only slightly disappointed when she stepped away.

As soon as the bath was filled, both of them slid into the water, more than pleased at how warm it was. They kept very quiet, as the room echoed quite a bit, and she began to wash off her face first, grabbing the cloth she'd set down nearby. Malik began doing the same, his arm leaving him only able to wash one side of his body properly. He waited for Iman to finish washing herself before politely asking her to aid him. She shifted in the still warm water to sit behind him, and he felt something was off. He put a hand to his jaw, wondering if he should bother to shave off the stubble that was there.

"Keep it. I like it on you." She said softly behind him.

"What's that?"

"I don't like it when you shave. It makes you look too young, and boyish. It makes me feel guilty loving you so much." Iman said as she then draped her arms around his front in a hug. He chuckled heartily.

"I'm afraid I'll have to eventually, love."

"Will you refrain from shaving for our wedding?"

"We'll see. Maybe just to be sure it doesn't start looking unruly, I should just shave now." He noted, looking up to her. She smiled and kissed him gently.

"Let me help you, then. You cut yourself last time." She got out of the water to find a blade, coming back and placing herself in his lap, facing him. She wet the blade before she began, commanding him to tilt his head back. She tried to keep him from talking too much.

"Did I tell you I finally found a good spot for our ceremony?" He asked her.

"No, you didn't. Where is it?"

"It's a lovely spot by the cliffs. A beautiful view of the valley behind a tall, blossoming tree." He smiled as she stopped, backing the blade from his neck as he tilted his head up to look at her. She was in awe.

"You asked that girl's parents if we could hold it in their garden?"

"I did just that. They only asked that they could attend."

"Malik, this is almost too much." She said, excited enough that she kissed him passionately, despite having only shaved half of his face. "Alright." She finally grinned, "Tilt your head back again."

"As you wish." He replied. He listened to the few things she wanted to do beforehand to the space, losing interest after a while, though when she paused he smiled to let her know she could continue. After draining the water, they redressed themselves and returned to their room silent. She sat on the bed and drew her legs close to him, smiling when he sat beside her.

"I'm getting nervous." She said quietly before he could ask what was wrong.

"About what?"

"I'm just... I don't know what I'm doing. And I don't have anyone to show me what to do." She sighed. "I just wish my mother or father were here."

"What would you do if they were?" He suggested, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her closer.

"I guess I'd probably hug them, first." She giggled. "I don't know what else, though."

"This is what you want, isn't it? I'm not forcing you into anything am I?"

"Not at all. This is what I want, I do want to be with you." She sighed, regardless of her answer. "I guess I'm just thinking how lonely I feel."

"You've made more friends since we've been here. I don't think that you'll stop soon, either."

"There's..." She was growing frustrated. "I can't explain it simply, but there's something that's just bothering me!" He was quiet and held her close.

"Maybe you'll find out what it is in a few days. Just try to be patient with it." He then moved to change the topic to something a little lighter. "I didn't know that you and Maria had began to talk again."

"We didn't mean to. We were training nearby and she offered me a few suggestions. And I guess we started talking after that." She shrugged.

"That's better than staying mad at one another, isn't it?"

"It is." She yawned. "Can we sleep?"

"Of course we can." Malik smiled and turned to let her lay by his side.

Every day, Iman seemed to grow more and more frustrated by what was bothering her that she couldn't name. Even looking for answers gave her more frustration and she gave up on it after a week. It was amusing to see her so worked up over seemingly nothing, but Malik was able to tell after she'd let it go. She was just nervous for the ceremony, maybe more anxious for it. The stubble on his jaw was growing back, and she was pleased that it did look much neater without the cut on his neck. He tried to put just a little distance from himself the days leading up to the ceremony, looking to Altaïr to ease his own growing anxiety.

"There's nothing more you can do but wait for tomorrow." He chuckled, trying to send Malik off to sleep, Maria having long gone to sleep in Altaïr's bed.

"Something just doesn't feel right, though."

"You haven't spent much time with her, that's all. Now please, get some rest and I will see you in the morning." Altaïr said, shoving him out of the room and closing the door in his face. He sighed with defeat and turned to do as the man said.

Only those who were attending the ceremony, which totaled to 4 assassins, and 3 of the villagers, knew about what was going on. To everyone else, Malik was just having another breakdown and he would be fine in the morning, a little tired if anything. Iman had encouraged him to keep it a small affair, and she even stated that the next mission they were sent on could serve as a honeymoon. He laughed, never believing in a thousand years that she would think it romantic to travel to a city and murder someone with her partner for a honeymoon. She really was taking on the role of an assassin after all.

A few of the women that had lent their hand to Iman to prepare before the ceremony had told Malik to stay away from her until the ceremony began. He didn't know why but he did know that crossing four angry women was a bad idea. He went to another room that was empty and nearby his own to sleep for the night. At least to get some idea of sleep. He tossed and turned most of the night, trying to get comfortable without Iman at his side, and he wondered if she was having trouble sleeping as well. He wouldn't dare go ask, but he finally was able to get some rest before morning arrived.

He woke up before anyone had the chance to ruin his mood, and he went to go find his hidden clothes so he could change later, seeing as the ordeal wouldn't be taking place until noon. When he walked past his room, he was met by Maria, who was carrying something behind her back.

"Hello, Malik." She smiled rather sweetly.

"Hello. Maria. Is Iman doing well?"

"Well enough for a bride on her wedding day." Maria teased, shooing him away before she would open the door. What was that decorated bottle for, he wondered as he spotted the small item Maria was holding before she entered the room.

"Malik. I need your help with something for an hour or two." Altaïr said, gently grabbing his arm and towing him along. He wasn't even properly dressed as a master assassin, but he guessed it didn't matter.

"What is it?" He asked as he was lead to a group of waiting novices in the training area.

"Since Rashid is away on a mission, I was hoping you might demonstrate how to properly throw a knife without it making noise. Seeing as I am unable to do so myself."

"It's your hands, Altaïr. I've taught you time and time again-" The man cleared his throat and Malik then did the same, "Right. Does someone have a knife I can borrow?" The shortest member held one out, handle first. "Thank you. Now, if you take the blade like this," He held the blade rather loose in his hand, as most did, "You will be able to throw it, but not very far or silent. If you tighten your grip slightly, and place your forefinger like so," his forefinger slid up the spine of the knife, "You're going to get a much better result. Try it, and we'll see how you do. Only one knife at a time, and wait until everyone has stopped before retrieving them." He then stepped back to let them practice.

"What?" He said as Altaïr smirked.

"You're better with the young ones than you used to be. I think-"

"If you go making any comments about me being a father, I'll make sure you can't enjoy Maria's warm company for a month." Malik said, holding his hand up and speaking before Altaïr could finish. He knew where he was going.

"You're no fun. I was wrong." Altaïr said, shoving off the fence, now, heading back inside. Malik continued the lesson until a few hours before he would need to head to the garden. He had asked Altaïr to come to the ceremony not three days ago. He mentioned to Maria, as she was in the room, that she was welcome as well. When Malik found Altaïr again, he couldn't help but smile at how miserable he suddenly looked.

"What is it?"

"Ever since you told Maria about this ceremony, she's been asking me about when we would have one." he pouted.

"And you haven't taken the hint, yet?"

"What?"

"Altaïr, she is still a woman no matter how she might act or dress. She may be teasing you but you'll have to make a decision sooner or later." Malik said, pulling off his clothes to put on the clean ones he'd stowed away in the room. Altaïr had begun doing the same.

"You're not even married, and you're giving me advice."

"You might be good at sensing when two people are compatible, but I'm better at sensing what people are trying to say without being direct."

"I still don't understand why she insists on it. I haven't even known her for a year."

"Maybe she thinks you two are ready." He shrugged, then smirking, pausing his dressing and looking to Altaïr, "Or maybe she's-"

"Don't even joke about that." He said, holding a finger out to stop him. "If she were pregnant I find it hard to imagine she would want a child."

"You would be surprised at what she could be hiding, Altaïr." He said, still wearing the smirk as he continued to dress.

As they left the castle, the assassins definitely gave them men looks, by nodded respectfully, offering up congratulations to Malik, then continuing on with their lives. The nervousness in Malik's stomach was growing to the point where he was dreading the moment he would see Iman, unsure of what she would look like. He didn't even know what she would be wearing. He stood waiting for a good twenty minutes, before he saw Iman walking towards them, Maria at her right arm, and a nursemaid she'd grown close to at her left.

He was pleasantly surprised to see how simple her dress was. It almost hung off her shoulders, but then it also hugged at her sides. The neck scooped down nicely and the top was held up at the top by a knot. It was sleeveless, but she wore bands on her arms that accented the paint on her face. She stood at his side finally, and he couldn't stop grinning at her. There was liner on her eyes that made them stand out even more, especially against the glittered golden paint that went around her eyes, and around her rouged lips that were smiling back at him. The two remained quiet as the ceremony began. Luckily, they were blessed with a steady wind that kept them cool in the middle of the day as it seemed to drag on, even for Malik.

At last, when it was early in the afternoon, he leaned over to give her one of the sweetest kisses he could remember, and he would never forget it either. She was now all his, and he could see it in her smile that she was the happiest that she'd ever been in her life. He took her by the hand and they were lead by everyone back to the castle. He was almost parading her around at this point. She had never looked so beautiful in clothes before.

As they reached the gate to the castle, Malik was watching Maria and Altaïr. For the first time, they were openly holding hands.

"They look so cute together." Iman said, talking quietly to him, still blushing as they passed all the boys who were ogling at her.

"I'm not sure I would use that word, but they certainly are happy." Malik agreed, gently squeezing her hand that he was holding.

They all rested inside for some time in Altaïr's study, talking until it was time for an early dinner. Maria had left with Iman to let her change out of the dress. They came back, and she looked much more comfortable. When he wasn't looking at Iman, taking all of her in since she had left the decorations on herself, Malik was watching Maria with some curiosity. Something was wrong. But he dismissed it as they left to eat, all four staying together through the evening.

"Please excuse us for a moment." Maria said suddenly, pulling Altaïr up with her, not having previously consulted him. Malik watched as she dragged him to a far corner, whispering something in his ear. The look that was shot immediately to Malik said everything he needed to know. And he lost himself in a laughing fit for a good couple of minutes. They returned to the table, and Altaïr hadn't moved much, or eaten. He was still staring at Malik, even after he had come back from his laughter.

"Are you alright, Malik?" Maria asked. He did his best to hold back his laughter.

"I will be fine. Is Altaïr going to be alright though? Or did you just break up with him?" Malik teased. He got a kick in the shin from under the table from the man.

"I'll be fine." He grumbled, sighing and then excusing himself, leaving Maria a little distraught.

"He'll come back, don't worry." Malik assured her, engaging her in conversation far away from what he knew was going on. Sure enough, the man returned, his brow wet with water. He held his hand out silently for Maria to take, leading her towards the garden to talk with her. Malik then took Iman's hand, wanting to take her to bed early.

As they headed up the stairs, Malik glanced out the window to where Altaïr and Maria were. He stopped as they embraced each other, smiling. Iman tugged at him to keep going, and he obliged, nearly passing her up the stairs, carrying her when she was taking too long to catch up. The door shut loudly behind them, but they were already in their own world, making it difficult to move around without the other being a step behind them. She fell on the bed first, yanking him down to meet her with a giggle.

The glitter on her body ran everywhere, not just on her face as he had first thought. He followed the trails they left and she rolled around on the bed with him for more than half the night, never pausing her grinning. When Malik began to feel tired, he laid flat on his back, letting Iman trace patterns over his chest and sides.

"Dear?"

"Hm?"

"Do you know what was going on with Altaïr and Maria earlier?" She asked him, looking him in the eye. He chuckled.

"Well. Earlier when he and I were getting ready, I might have made a small comment about her behavior towards him. He didn't know what was going on when she kept asking when they would have their own ceremony. I started making a small suggestion, but he didn't want to believe me. It seems that I was correct, though." Malik said, trying to be vague for now. But she wouldn't have that.

"And what were you suggesting?"

"I suggested that she might be pregnant." He said, chuckling as Iman gasped with a grin.

"You could tell that?" She asked. He nodded. "How?"

"I'm good at reading body language and knowing what it means. I could have told you weeks ago that I suspected she was. Of course, I can't be entirely sure, she hasn't said anything to us."

"I'll have to ask." Iman said, settling her head on his chest as they fell asleep. It was comforting to have her at his side again.


	6. Chapter 6

The next day, it was confirmed for Iman that Malik had been correct. And the next few months were something else to see. The couple were quick to marry in Limassol, and Maria's temper grew shorter by the day, but she never expressed that towards anyone but Altaïr. On their return to Masyaf she was expected to give birth any day, and it was driving Altaïr mad. Iman had begun staying with Maria at night, having been asked to help birth the baby.

Altaïr would often speak to Malik late at night with his worries. They tried their best to act as though there wasn't anything out of the ordinary in their days. Most days, since it had begun snowing and raining constantly, there wasn't much practicing outside, except when it was necessary for a particular lesson. The library grew louder with each day that Altaïr and Malik were absent. They both took their turns walking down, making sure that work was still being done. Understandably, Malik was sent more than Altaïr.

Luckily for all of them, the day Darim decided to arrive was the day all the assassins had been sent home, or opted to stay inside, due to the weather. It had been snowing for three days straight with no pause. Altaïr paced the floor outside the room while they waited, Malik doing his best to calm the man from barging into the room to be with Maria.

"What if she doesn't make it?" He kept muttering, concern taking control of his voice and face.

"She's not weak."

"I know, but..."

"Maria will be fine." Malik had repeated for the thousandth time.

By nightfall, they were rewarded with the sound of a healthy baby crying, and Maria only needed rest. Malik had stepped in the room, mostly to see that Iman was alright herself. She looked about as tired as the other woman who was holding her baby close to her chest. He sat to watch Maria and Altaïr, smiling at how gentle they were. After an hour, Maria was asleep and Altaïr was standing quietly alone with his son, talking to him as he was bundled up in at least two blankets. When Iman began to nod off, he nudged her to get up so they could go sleep in their own bed.

"You should rest while you can, Altaïr. You're going to have some long nights." Malik smiled as he passed by, looking down at Darim.

"Thank you for helping us." He replied, looking to Iman as well. She smiled and the two left the room very quiet, holding hands.

"Do you want anything to eat?" He asked her before they got too far. Her stomach growled before she could answer and she grinned.

"I guess I do."

"You can go lay down, if you'd like."

"I'll come with you." She said as she shook her head. He shrugged and took her with him to get a meal, surprised that she was eating more than himself. She kept smiling at him, and he could only smile back with confusion.

"Why are you so happy?" He asked her.

"Malik. I got to help Maria birth her son today. I did something for her, and I just feel good about it." Iman said with a small shrug. "I don't think it's bad to feel like this at all."

"No, it's not. I suppose I just don't quite understand how that would feel, because I wasn't there." Malik chuckled.

"I don't think you would have liked to be in there." She teased as they left to go sleep together, finally. His arm was around her waist tightly as they walked, ignoring everyone that they passed. She turned to him once they were in the safety of their room, kissing him lightly on his cheek.

"What was that for?"

"I love you, Malik."

"I love you too, Iman."

She kept considerably quiet for several weeks after that, even once Malik had told her that they would get to return to Jerusalem for a few days. He kept asking her if something was wrong up until the day they left, but she continually refused to admit there was anything wrong. The trip to the city was longer than usual, their horses having to trek through mud and mounds of snow that only seemed to get worse as they went along. She clutched to him at night, somehow always getting colder than himself during the day. It rained one night, and they almost decided to stay put that day, until there was a small break in the clouds.

"Iman, I want you to promise me that you'll smile more." He told her as they neared the walls of Jerusalem. She grinned and reached out to hold his hand for a few moments, then dismounting at the stables, taking her things from the horse. As Malik did the same, she looked around, sighing heavily.

"It doesn't feel the same here as it used to." She said softly. "Something is wrong."

"That's why we're here, Iman. Let's go put our things away and we can take a walk around after." He said to her, making sure she kept close to him in the crowds.

It was very different from when they were last there. When they left, citizens were happy, free to roam the streets without much fear. Now it was etched on their faces how much they feared everyone. It was considerably quieter, and near silent around the presence of the city guards. Iman and Malik were sure to either avoid the guards completely, or to keep their heads low, eyes to the ground as they walked past them. They were stopped only once by a guard, but luckily he had spotted someone stealing and had run off to find them. It wasn't much farther to the bureau, and as usual, before slipping inside the door they had made sure no one was around.

"Malik, it is good to see you, brother." The rafiq greeted him as they entered into safety. The rafiq had been Kadar's best friend, as well as Malik's. He took a few minutes to talk with the man, the slight pain in his chest from the memory of his brother soon ebbing away.

"I'm glad you are well, Hadi. I promised Iman that we would stretch a little after our ride. We won't be gone very long."

"Be very careful. As I'm sure you've noticed, Makram has tightened his control on the city nearly suffocating it. Do not stray far, or you may end up in trouble, particularly with your wife."

"What do you mean?" He paused, growing more concerned.

"He hardly allows women to leave their homes alone, and even with their families it is difficult to go anywhere but home. He believes there is no place for them but indoors, spare when they are required to do some task, such as fetching food or water." Hadi told Malik, looking concerned at Iman. As Malik turned to look at her, he could see how furious she was.

"I will stay, then." She said quietly, looking to Malik. "I don't want to cause you trouble. I'm sure we will find some way to make this work." She then retreated to one of the rooms, closing the door silently. He sighed.

"I will back in an hour." Malik said, leaving so he could conduct a small search of the area. He did notice he was able to blend in better with the crowds, and even elude the gaze of the guards. He was a man that could go as he pleased. But it didn't feel right. He sat on a bench and listened to a conversation that two of Makram's personal guard were having.

"I can't believe we're stuck watching this stupid house."

"Be careful what you say. Do you remember what happened to Ahmad's brother?"

"He had what was coming to him. He was sneaking off with one of Makram's women. I heard she had to be replaced after he gave her the same punishment."

"It's a shame they get replaced so often. And you never see what happens to them afterwards."

Malik stood and left. He did his best to hide the grin on his face. He knew what to do to get rid of this man. All he had to do was find out a little more. But that could wait. It was sundown when he finally returned, and there was a warm meal waiting for him. Iman had waited for him to join her before she began to eat. When he was inside, he smiled.

"You look like you know something I don't." The rafiq said, sitting across from Malik and Iman.

"I feel like I might." He said, sitting back some from the meal to speak. "I think I may have a plan as to how we can get rid of Makram. All I need to know is where he hides and how we can get Iman inside."

"What do you mean?" Hadi and Iman said together. Malik told them about the short conversation he'd heard, and they both began smiling as well.

"You would send Iman inside to learn more, and then go in yourself?" Hadi asked.

"No. I would send her in to do the job herself. I'm sure I could manage to sneak in myself and offer assistance if she needed it." He turned to his wife. "I trust you to kill him on your own."

"And how would I? If I do get past his guards, and am able to get close to him, I doubt I will be able to walk in dressed like this." She said, motioning to her assassin robes. "I would be wearing next to nothing. How would I carry a blade without it being seen?"

"Perhaps you should only use a blade as a last resort." Malik said. "Altaïr was kind enough to tell me that he has reconsidered our using poison in our creed. Only when discretion is necessary, should we use it. I think now would be an appropriate situation to use it."

"I suppose that would be easier. Slipping something in his drink while he isn't watching?"

"Yes." Malik nodded, watching her for a minute. She was thinking it over in her head, and she shook her head.

"I have a few... Concerns, but we can talk about that later." She said softly, eating again. Malik and Hadi began eating as well, changing the topic to other, lighter things. The men played a few games of chess before Malik gave in to Iman's pleading to come to bed.

"Iman, what's bothering you?" Malik tried again to get her to tell him what was on her mind. He hadn't asked since they left Masyaf.

"I want to tell you why I'm concerned about getting that close to Makram before I tell you what I'm worried about." She said, forcing him to sit before she would speak. She was looking at her hands and feet most of the time. "I'm worried that if I have to get that close to this man, I may need to... Temporarily forget that I belong to you. And that worries me, because I'm not sure that I remember how to be invisible to everyone."

"Iman, it won't be more than a day or two. I know that you can do this. I will not be far away from you." Malik said, before being shushed by her.

"I will do it." She said suddenly, locking her eyes with his. Malik nodded with a heavy sigh as she sat on his lap, hugging him tightly.

"And what else were you wanting to tell me?"

"You can't take back what you just said, you realize that, don't you?" She said, looking like she might scold him. He thought about it for a moment, raising his eyebrow at her. She grew impatient "Malik."

"I won't take back what I said. I promise" He replied finally. He was worried about what she was going to say. Somewhere in his mind, he finally realized how much of an influence Maria had over Iman, and that worried him to some extent.

"I think I might be with child." She said softly, watching him carefully.

He thought she might say that, but it wasn't any less surprising to actually hear it. He wanted badly to take back what he said, but he'd already promised her. She raised her hands to hold his face after a while, and he looked up at her. He half expected her to say something else, but she remained quiet.

"Will you say something? You're making me a little nervous."

"You need to promise me you're going to be careful when you leave." Was all he could say, making her laugh and then kiss him lightly. He returned the kiss and held her close, falling asleep with her sitting in his lap, leaning against his chest, both of them hugging each other.

The next morning greeted them with rain, and Iman convinced Malik to let her come with him while he investigated Makram's situation further. She tied her hair back and pulled her hood up, managing to make herself appear more masculine. It made a considerable difference as they walked around the city. They only had to kill one guard to get back to the bureau safely, and that was more than what he'd have liked. However, the information they learned was worth it. They had grabbed a few necessary items for the next day, prepared for what they would need to do.

They were glad the rain had stopped for the time being, as they moved outside to do what they needed. Iman was dressed in thin material, especially for the weather, but she had also pulled a veil over her face so she wouldn't have to deal with people looking at her face. Malik escorted her, though he stayed at a distance so she would appear alone.

He saw the trails of gold on her body in the sun that was pushing through the clouds, making the day a bit more cheerful. He'd helped her put it on, and it was something he didn't want anyone else to see other than what was exposed from her clothes. She went to the building she was supposed to. Other women were waiting as well, and they were quickly let inside. She was out of Malik's control now. All he could do was hope she didn't come back out.

He sat on a roof for the good part of the morning. He watched life move on while he was struggling to avoid slipping inside to fetch his wife. When the door opened, some women left, none in the colors that Iman had worn. He sighed with relief. He followed a route he'd given himself to now find a way inside. Only to make sure that the assassination would be done today. He knocked a man unconscious and dragged him far away before stripping him of his clothes to don them on himself. To avoid the dilemma of being questioned about his arm, he walked with his "hands" behind his back.

He approached the building and held his breath. Two guards eyed him careful as he passed by. When he wasn't asked about his arm as he got through the doorway, he let out his breath slowly, as though breathing normal. Malik followed the noise to a large hall, where most of Makram's "guests" were waiting. There wasn't a single space empty, and there was a large number of women waiting for him to enter. Malik placed himself inside the door to stand post. It would be another long wait before Makram would show up.

When the man entered the room, everyone's head bowed. It remained that way until he began to speak, doing so directly to the women in the room.

"You have passed one test of many, and that is why you are in this room. All but ten of you will leave today. Be grateful you have been given the opportunity to become my personal guard." He said shortly, then looking over the room and then continuing. "I have high standards. If they cannot be met, you will leave. There are rules that must be followed. Fail to remember this, and you will be punished accordingly." There was a slight smirk on his face that made him want to snap the man's neck right there. But he held himself back as he pulled each woman aside to a private room. Each was for a different length of time. Some women rushed out as quick as they could, and others were given escort by a guard to another part of the compound-like house.

When the afternoon came around, the rain had returned, and there were only five women left. Four were dismissed as one walked into the room. Malik kept his gaze down as they walked past him, looking ashamed in a way. Thankfully, Iman had been escorted through hours ago, and now it was only a matter of overseeing the dinner.

Being the eldest of all of the women that were chosen, Iman was placed closest to Makram. Again, Malik remained close to one of the doors, watching from the corner of his eye most of the time. She was wearing a plainly obvious fake smile, but he supposed to anyone else it might seem genuine. Iman held conversation with him long enough to keep him interested, though when he moved to the girl on his left, she made her move, acting as though she were reaching for food, slipping the clear liquid into his goblet of wine, cleverly asking if she could refill it for him. After that, Malik stepped out of the room. It was done.

Not an hour later, word had reached him outside that Makram had died from his meal. It was thought to be poor preparation of the meat he ate, he overheard a few of the guards saying. They were also looking for the intruder who had stripped a guard from his uniform, suspecting it to be someone in the kitchen. He could only laugh, watching as Iman pulled her veil over her head as she was dismissed for the night, grinning at Malik when she approached him. He had ripped off the uniform long ago and he held his arm out for her to take.

"I'll have to be careful around you if I ever make you mad." He said quietly as they walked off.

"That won't happen." She replied, keeping her head down as they passed a few of the city guards who were now on edge.

"You weren't ever in any direct danger, as well. That's very good."

"I had a very wise mentor." Iman smirked, looking up at him.

"I should get the chance to meet him."

"I don't know. He can be very stubborn, and he's almost always in a bad mood."

"Is that so?" He asked, looking at her as she giggled, opening the door to the bureau for him.

The first thing she did was take off the thin fabric to warm herself more. She then took the time to fetch food for him, since he hadn't eaten, and she fed him as he laid down, tired from standing stiff for most of the day. He looked her in the eye as she talked to him, holding her hand tightly when she began asking him about them having a baby.

"Do you even want a baby?" She asked after a while, long forgetting about feeding him as his head rested in her lap.

"I think I do." He said. "I've never thought about it before to be honest."

"I haven't either." She grew quiet and he sat up to meet her gaze. She stared at him for a while. "I'm a little scared, Malik. I don't know what I'm doing."

"We'll be back home soon, and maybe you can talk to Maria about it. I'm sure she'll be more than happy to help you with this." He smiled to her, making sure she nodded before he threw the blanket over her, pulling her to his chest so they could fall asleep.

Not worrying about leaving right away that next day, Malik and Iman kept to themselves. Hadi didn't disturb them, too busy reading letters and responding them most of the morning. Around noon, they finally left and began their journey to Masyaf. It was better this time around, not having to deal with so much rain, mud, or snow. At least not until they came back home. It didn't seem like it had stopped snowing. All the trees were weighed down with the white matter, and the road didn't appear to have been traveled for at least a week.

"You're back!" Maria was the first to greet them, checking on her horse in the stables. She didn't have Darim on her hip, and it wasn't too hard to figure that her husband would have their son. The three walked back to the castle in the snow that still came from the clouds above, heavy.

"Iman, I'm going to head to our room and rest. Let me take your things." He said, trying to nudge Iman to talk to Maria about their decided on baby. She took the hint and hung her bags off his shoulders, almost shooing him off.

Malik did return to their room, but he turned around to go see Altaïr and his son. He was in his study, holding Darim as he sat in the deep chair, talking quietly to the sleeping boy. Malik knocked and they shared a smile.

"How was the trip to Jerusalem?" Altaïr asked, shifting to face him.

"It was... Cold." Malik replied, shrugging. "I can't say the city was any different. But that will hopefully change, in a few days more."

"That's good to hear. Was there anything exciting that happened?"

"Not that I can really say at the moment." He grinned. "I'm sure you'll hear something about it later. But that's not really why I came here. How are you?"

"I'm tired. Darim doesn't seem to understand how sleeping works, unless we're all awake. I don't think there's anyone else staying in this hall anymore." Altaïr chuckled, looking down at the boy he was talking about.

"He'll learn, I'm sure."

"He likes pulling on Maria's hair a lot."

"That sounds like she's having fun with that." Malik smirked. Altaïr rolled his eyes.

"I get a mouthful about how it's my fault each time it happens. In fact any time there's something he does that she doesn't like, Maria blames it on me."

"She's teasing, I hope."

"Oh yes. She knows neither of us would put up with him any other way. I get to tease her about him waking up in the middle of the night for no reason on occasion. I have to be careful, though. She's still a very capable woman."

"Will she ever be anything else in her life?"

"I hope not." Altaïr looked down at his son who was moving in his arms, smiling with tired eyes. Malik watched him pull the blanket up over his son, shifting to leave.

"I'll talk to you later, Altaïr." Malik said, then leaving the room, going back to his to see what had piled up on his desk. He went through a few papers describing things he already knew, and a few new things to add on to the maps. But there wasn't much else there that was worth his attention. He smiled when he heard Iman trying to sneak up on him. He let her try to scare him, and he didn't jump, instead holding her hands over his chest, grinning and turning his head to kiss her gently. She looked calmer, and her eyes were shining as they usually did.

"Are you doing anything important right now?" She asked. He shook his head. "Will you come with me outside?"

"Of course." He stood after releasing on of her hands, letting her lead them outside.

They were standing just outside the castle door near the training ring. It was quiet from clashing metal and shouts. A few novices cleaned up scattered hay from the training dummies under supervision. But they stood there and watched over all of that, looking over to what they could see of the sunset. She shivered once and he wrapped his arm around her a bit tighter. Iman smiled at him and leaned back some, kissing the underside of his jaw. He saw her eyes close as she froze there, a small gust of wind brushing hair from her face for him, making her cheeks a little more pink from the cold. Malik gently squeezed her, grinning when she opened her eyes.

"What?"

"Is there any reason you wanted to come here?"

"Not really."

"I think we should go inside. It's only going to get more cold."

"Okay." She didn't fight him, staying at his side.

He sighed happily as they walked inside. He thought he blinked only once, and he was laying in bed with Iman, listening to her drone on about something that didn't need his attention. He didn't remember much of that evening, or of the next month. But Iman soon began waking him up in the middle of the night, either shivering or needing something from him. Malik made her promise that as soon as she was incapable of training at her regular pace, she would start finding other means of "staying active" with the other assassins. She didn't know what to do when the time came, but Malik found that she liked reading the reports he didn't like going through. So she took that job from him as he belly began to swell more with each day. He eyed her each time she shifted, seemingly uncomfortable, but he never said anything to her.

When she wasn't reading for him, Iman took Darim off of Maria and Altaïr's hands. They boy liked her a lot, and he was starting to crawl around, hardly causing any trouble now. She had to carry him to his parents once one became available almost every night, as he fell asleep not to soon before dinner. Malik liked watching her with him; she was exactly where she wanted to be. She did get sick again for about a week, and Malik wouldn't stop worrying about her to the point she tried to force him out of the room. That was one of the first times he saw how angry she could get, although she later tried to pass it off as being exhausted from the baby. It hurt him beneath the skin, but he could forgive her. At least she hadn't kicked him out of the bed, like Maria had to Altaïr on more than one occasion.

For things that Altaïr struggled with, Malik knew how to deal with them. In this case, Malik was often going to his friend for advice on what to do. And Maria was quite helpful at times, too. When the man was being brutally honest with Malik, he had to swear that what he said would never be mentioned again. That was usually when the most helpful advice was handed over.

In the middle of the night, if Iman asked for something, he would do it, regardless of how sore or tired he might be. That kept his spot beside her in bed every night. If she began complaining about nothing to do, then Malik was to spend a little more time with her at some point in the same day. Often, when she asked him to brush through her hair, he would do so, and make sure that she was kept happy while they held conversation.

"Do you think it's going to be a boy or a girl?" She asked one night before bed. Malik paused to think about it – he hadn't really done so before.

"I'm not sure." He finally said, looking to her. She was about seven months along, if the healer had been correct, and she hadn't had a good nights' sleep in weeks.

"What do you want it to be?" She asked him as she sat down with a small sigh, her hands gently petting her stomach. He had to pause again. "I want you to be honest with me." She then added.

"You want me to be perfectly honest with you?"

"Yes. And I don't want the 'I don't care, because it's our child' lecture."

He was quiet, actually thinking about it for her sake. She was patient with him, talking quietly to the baby. She did this more often at night than any other time, most likely because she was alone with just Malik to hear her. There were times when she would sing something quietly, her eyes closed as she sat back in the chair that creaked with her every move. He walked over to her when he finally had his answer, standing behind her as she sat in the chair, placing his hand with care on her shoulder. She looked up to him.

"If I'm being perfectly honest, I think I'd rather have a boy."

"I thought you'd say that." She grinned.

"Why?"

"Because that's just who you are. I can't really see you playing with a girl."

"You don't even want to hear why I'd rather have a boy? You're happy just taking guesses?"

"Fine. Tell me why you want a boy." She said, playing his game for him. Malik grinned and kissed her gently, kneeling on the floor next to her so he could look her in the eye without straining her neck.

"I want a boy, because then if we have a girl, there will always be someone that can protect her, and love her."He said simply. He might have been repeating something that Altaïr had said, but it was something of the truth.

"You think we'd have more than one child?"

"I do. I can't see you being happy with just one child, and there's no harm in bringing a little more happiness into our lives, is there?"

"I suppose not." Iman grinned, and had him help her up so they could sleep. She had a shawl wrapped around her shoulders to keep her back somewhat warm, but it wasn't enough. Malik made sure she was facing away from him before he laid down behind her, wrapping his arm around to her front, pulling her close to himself. She hummed happily at the warmth, and placed her hand over his before she finally slept through the night, just as he did.


	7. Chapter 7

The summer had gone by fairly well, and the chill was beginning to set in on Masyaf a little sooner than everyone would have liked. Malik froze nightly while Iman was perfectly warm. Although he finally convinced her to shut the window and it was a good thing, because it began to rain hard over the next few days, turning the caked dirt into lakes of mud. Everything smelled different when it rained, Malik was able to smell the pages of the books better, and that smell had become a friend to him recently. He didn't spend much time without Iman, as she was expected to give birth any day now. Just as she had done for Maria, she watched over Iman to give Malik some time to himself every now and then. Although, Malik was usually babysitting with Altaïr.

He'd grown more fond of Darim than he thought, and the boy was becoming increasingly lively. He could sputter out only a handful of words by now, none of which included Altaïr, and that upset him. He was sitting in a chair, watching Altaïr try to get Darim to stand up even for a second, but the boy kept falling back.

"You have to let him do it himself, Altaïr. He won't learn any other way." Malik said, having seen this act more than enough times, repeated by other fathers. The man gave up with a heavy sigh, and laid on the floor, letting his son climb on his stomach triumphantly.

"I'm exhausted enough with him. But now I'll have to go without you, and try to keep everything running smoothly." Altaïr said, speaking to Malik but looking at his son.

"Just because I'll be having my own child doesn't mean I'll forget about aiding you where you need it." He said, somehow grabbing Darim's attention, picking the boy up and setting him on his lap when he was close enough. "Maybe it'll be easier. Darim will have someone closer to his own age to play with."

"I guess so." He said as his eyes shut, hid fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. Something about the way he said that was unsettling, but then Malik realized that it was all too quiet outside of the room. He set Darim back down to take a look around, mostly to see that Iman was alright. She was always in the back of his mind, but that was his first worry at the moment. He felt himself turning into a predator, looking for her.

Maria reached him first, smiling. "There's nothing to worry about. But do me a favor and go open the window in your room, I may forget later."

He nodded slowly, doing as she asked. Of course, it wasn't much longer before he was waiting outside the room, pacing as Altaïr had done almost an entire year ago. He was much calmer on the outside than he felt. He decided to sit to wait it out, but it was painful. He was able to peer inside for just brief moments when someone left the room. He didn't even know why he bothered, he could hear her and from that visualize how much pain she was in. But her face was in far more pain than he imagined it being. The door always shut before he could see her clearly.

In the middle of the night, the door opened softly. Malik looked up, more nervous than he'd ever been.

"I... Don't know how much longer she'll be in labor. But it's safe to say she'll be up all night. I think she's calmed enough for you to go sit next to her for a bit, if you'd like." Maria said, offering a small smile, following him inside again.

He gently ran his hand over her head, trying his best not to make it obvious that she didn't look as good as she could have. But she was asleep, so he sat down next to her. Iman sensed he was near and shifted closer to him, a small smile on her face.

"I'll be back in a few minutes." Maria suddenly said, turning sharply from the room. He didn't care much, he was just worried for his wife. She woke up suddenly, looking very surprised to see him, but also relieved.

"Malik, what are you doing?"

"Maria told me that I could come in. I wanted to make sure that you were doing alright, and it looks like you are." He said softly, brushing her hair back. She smiled.

"It hurts a lot."

"I'm sure it does..."

She looked up at him, and then sighed, closing her eyes. She gripped his hand, and he had to clench his jaw to avoid making any sound. He almost bit through his tongue by the time she released his hand, and he cleared his throat. Maria came back in a few minutes later, ushering him away and out of the room again. Altaïr had fallen asleep some time ago, Darim on his chest. Malik let them be, sitting back down and trying to rest a little himself. It was quiet enough for him to sleep for an hour or two, at least until he was woken up by a passing assassin, who was kind enough to bring him something to eat. He smiled genuinely and let the man pass. He looked to his left and Altaïr was gone, but he shrugged. He probably went to go to bed, or to eat.

The whimpering that Malik could hear through the morning was truly testing his willpower. He did everything he could to keep from going back into the room. Lucky for him, Altaïr was returning from his breakfast, stopping him from going much further.

"This was just as hard for me. It's worth it to wait." He put his hand on Malik's shoulder to keep him where he was.

"Thank you." He sighed, distracting himself for a while by talking to the man. He paused in the middle of his sentence when he heard what he'd been waiting all night for. He could tel Altaïr wanted to laugh at him for staring at the door, but then he looked fairly surprised himself.

There were two small cries, only minutes apart.

Something hit Malik in the gut and he fell to the ground rather fast. He was listening for something else entirely. The crying had muffled and eventually stopped, but no one had come out yet. It seemed like hours later when he found himself standing again, just as Maria opened the door, not saying anything but letting him inside.

It was a good thing he'd opened that window, Malik thought to himself. The room was hot, but Iman was crying silently, holding their twin boys in her arms as she caught her breath. It was certainly something to see, and Altaïr had been correct. This certainly was something worth waiting for. Malik sat beside her and gave her a kiss before anything else. She closed her eyes happily and her voice was quiet and raw.

"I guess you got what you wanted, and then some, hm?" She grinned and he shook his head.

"I don't know how I'm going to possibly ever thank you for this, my love."

"Just let me rest for now. And try to think of another name." She winked, letting Malik take each of them for a few minutes.

It was a different feeling holding his own sons rather than Darim. Sure, the warmth and wriggling was similar. But the feeling in his gut that had hit him earlier hit him again, harder. It wasn't nervousness really. It was more of sense of worth, and something he'd only felt when he'd given a few lessons to novices that truly appreciated what he'd done. Malik could be a role model for more than a day or wo. He was able to stand this time, fearful that if he didn't he wouldn't get to see this moment develop into something better. He felt Altaïr's hand on his shoulder.

"Let me know if you need anything, Malik." He said, then parting with Maria at his arm. He was alone with his family, finally. He returned each of the boys back to their mother so they could all rest. He only left to make sure that Iman would get something to eat.

"Have you thought of another name?" She asked in the afternoon. He was nervous to ask her for such a favor.

"I was curious... Would you mind if we named one of them after my brother?" He asked, looking her in the eye, more emotional than he'd felt even when he'd heard Iman agree to marry him. He relaxed when she smiled and nodded.

"I don't think we'd be able to come up with another name that would have much meaning."

"It does have quite a story behind it." Malik sighed, trying to keep himself together. Her hand reached up to his face.

"I love you, Malik."

"I love you, too, Iman."

Her eyes closed finally, and it was silent. He kept the window open so the room would cool off. He woke up in the middle of the night when one of his sons began crying, taking him from Iman since she didn't wake. His body wanted rest, and he sat down until the younger of the two began to settle down as he held him.

"You're a very lucky little boy." Malik smiled, talking quietly to soothe him more, bringing him close to his chest. "You'll always be safe here, and you won't ever be alone." The boy almost smiled after there was a yawn. Malik only dared move once he was limp, and after he set the boy back down, he shut the window before it got much colder.

It wasn't always nice to be woken up in the middle of the night, but once a system had been worked out, it wasn't as much of being woken up as it was waking up before the crying started. Malik looked slightly more tired than usual for the longest time, more cheerful when he was able to go to bed a little earlier than usual. Iman wouldn't let herself part from their boys for the better part of five months, but finally they were moved into the adjacent room. Slowly, they were sleeping more through the night, and Malik was happy for that. The color in his face was returning, as Maria had put it with a grin. It wasn't until almost a year later Iman had decided that she would rather be a mother, and was content knowing that she could defend her children should she need to. However, she did still do some work for everyone. Iman's new role was as a librarian, having already familiarized herself with the layout of the library.

Kadar, and Fahid were good boys, for the most part. Malik often had to separate them from fighting over a toy, or accidentally kicking another. By the time they were three, they were both playing with Darim, who was teaching them games, and occasionally hauling around his own little brother, Sef. They occupied themselves well enough to the point no one had to keep much of an eye on them, unless they were outside the castle.

One this particular day, Malik was dealing with exhaustion from the lack of a good nights' rest. He was listening to Altaïr give the other high-ranking assassins a small lecture on a change he wanted to be made. Malik was only half listening. Everyone was dismissed, and as usual, Altaïr asked Malik to stay behind.

"Yes?"

"You look tired. Did you sleep much last night?"

"I hardly slept at all. I'm not sure why, either. It's frustrating." Malik said, looking the man in the eye, getting slightly annoyed as he grinned. "Stop looking at me like that."

"Let Maria and I watch Kadar and Fahid for you tonight. Maybe you can relax from working all the time." Altaïr said softly. He sighed.

"Thank you. But please, if it's too much for you, bring them back."

"I think we should be able to handle two more boys who are reasonably well-behaved." Malik opened his mouth, but he quickly shut it. "You may leave." Malik then nodded and walked out of the room, his shoulders slumping as his feet felt heavy suddenly. He turned the corner to see if he could get a small nap.

"Baba!" He almost cringed for once when he heard the two boys, tensing as they lunged onto him, dragging his body down to the ground.

"Let your father inside." Iman said firmly, walking over to help him up, worried suddenly. She spoke softly in his ear. "Are you feeling well?"

"I'm just tired. Tell the boys to be quiet if they're going to be in here." Malik grunted, shuffling to the bed and collapsing onto it.

"Don't sleep too long."

"If Altaïr comes by later, just do as he says and don't ask." He said, and then everything faded into noise, and then nothing. His limbs detached from his body, and he felt like he was suddenly surrounded by water. It was calming, and he noticed that pain in his back was slowly ebbing away, making him smile. He woke up to a darkening room, and Iman gently nudging him with a smile.

"You're awake, now."

"I am." He stretched out and his back popped satisfyingly as he sat up after. She made a face but she kept smiling at him.

"Do you feel better?"

"Much better, yes. Are the children with Altaïr?" He asked with a pause. She nodded. "Good."

"Why did he take the kids?"

"He wanted me to spend time with you, and to relax so I could sleep tonight." Malik sighed heavily, and then wrapped his arm around her. Iman's head rested on his shoulder and she closed her eyes.

"I feel like we haven't taken much time for just the two of us." She added.

"Now would be a good time to start changing that, you know."

"Really, now?"

"I believe so." Malik smirked and saw her shake her head before leaning in to kiss him, but only for a second.

Iman practically ripped Malik's robes off his body when his back slammed to the bed, his head nearly hitting the wall. It was hardly necessary to say she missed him. It was only when she arched her back, letting out a small moan that Malik began listening carefully for the door. It was slightly ajar, because he could hear footsteps echoing loudly from the staircase down the hall. That slight fear of getting caught suddenly made both their eyes connect, and both grinned. It shouldn't have been exciting, but it was.

"Maybe next time we could go out on one of the balconies?" She said quietly as she pulled her clothes back on quickly. Malik tried his hardest to ignore answering her, but he looked up at her.

"Maybe." He replied with a grin, just as the door busted open with four boys and a man flooding in. He looked up to Altaïr.

"How do you manage them?" He sighed exasperatedly, leaning against the wall.

"Practice." Iman grinned, standing and quickly getting all their attention with a ball. She sent them outside, and quickly shooed out the man. Clearly she hadn't had enough time with Malik yet. However, they did take a walk out of the room to watch the boys play from a distance.

"Iman?"

"Hm?"

"Is this what you wanted?"

"What do you mean?"

"Is this what you wanted from your life?"

"Where's this coming from?"

Where was this coming from?

"I'm just curious."

She paused. "Yeah. I guess it is." She smiled. "What about you?"

"I've lived here most of my whole life. I know that our sons will likely live here for most if not all of their lives as well. And I did meet you in the village, and I don't regret much from that time on."

"What do you regret?"

"Not being able to protect my brother. But that was some time ago."

"That's all?"

"That's all."

"Hm."

He leaned over to kiss her, and he smiled as his arm wrapped around her tightly. It was all his.


End file.
